Nearly 800 migrants cross English Channel in single day to set 2026 record
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A total of 781 migrants arrived in the UK on Wednesday after crossing the English Channel, marking the highest single-day figure recorded so far this year.
Provisional Home Office data shows that overall small boat arrivals for 2026 have now reached 18,565.
This represents a 42 per cent decrease compared to the same point in 2025, when the cumulative total stood at 32,188.
The figure is also 26 per cent lower than at this stage in 2024, which recorded 25,165 arrivals.
Ten vessels made the crossing on Wednesday, which suggests an average of 78 passengers per boat.
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