More small boat migrant crossings through the English Channel have occurred during Keir Starmer’s tenure than during any other prime minister, data from the UK's Home Office has shown.
Over the course of 19 months, during which labor has controlled the prime ministry, 65,922 immigrants have reached the UK across the Channel. This past Sunday, three boats carrying 219 migrants pushed Starmer's total immigration numbers past the record previously held by Boris Johnson.
65,811 immigrants crossed the channel over Johnson’s 1,140 days as prime minister. Having been in office for a significantly shorter amount of time (584 days), Starmer’s average weekly immigrant arrivals are 790 people, almost double Johnson’s 404.
Starmer, who campaigned with a promise to “smash the gangs,” faces backlash for his flawed border control. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp claims the increase is a result of Starmer abandoning the Rwanda deportation plan:
“This is a catastrophic failure by weak Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and his failing Home Secretary," said Philp. "Their gimmicks have not worked. They never should have cancelled the Rwanda deterrent with no alternative."
Philp continued, “The number of illegal migrants crossing the Channel has surged by 42 percent since the election. Labour has no plan to fix it. We need to pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), enabling us to deport all illegal migrants within a week of their arrival.”
Further criticism of the cancellation of the Rwanda plan
Tony Smith, the former head of Border Force, also criticized Keir for cancelling the immigration deal.
“He was vociferous in his opposition to the Rwanda plan during the election campaign, and he set about abolishing it the moment he became PM. Now he is paying the price – and this will be his legacy,” he said.
The deal, which was initiated in 2022 during the Tory party’s prime ministry, allowed Britain to deport illegal immigrants to Rwanda, and in turn promised Rwanda 370 million British pounds in developmental funding in addition to 150,000 to 171,000 pounds per individual sent.
Starmer's immigration numbers have also surged in part due to a sharp increase in the number of immigrants traveling per boat.
Starmer has overseen the crossing of 1,114 boats, with an average of 59 migrants per boat. Compared with Johnson’s tenure, there were 2,484 boat crossings, averaging 26 migrants per boat.
The prime minister has begun implementing a new border security command using counter-terror style powers in an attempt to combat the rampant immigration.
Implementation of new refugee plan
Additionally, in 2025, Britain introduced a new refugee plan that grants temporary status to immigrants but makes it significantly harder to obtain permanent residency. Previously, permanent settlement took five years, while this new plan could mean decades before migrants receive the same status.
Starmer also negotiated with France to implement a “one in, one out” agreement, allowing the UK to return illegal immigrants to France, and in return, legally accepting an equal number of pre-approved migrants.
Last week, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told members of parliament that it would take time for new measures to take effect, and that there was no guarantee the number of Channel crossings would decrease in the near future.
“I’m confident that the measures announced will have an impact and start to bring numbers down. I can’t give you an exact timeline for when all of that will happen, partly because we have to pass legislation. That will necessarily take time,” she said.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “This Government is bearing down on small boat crossings. We have stopped 40,000 crossing attempts since this Government came into office through our joint work with the French. We have removed or deported almost 60,000 people who were here illegally. Our pilot deal with the French means that those arriving by small boats are now being sent back."
“The Home Secretary has also announced the most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration in modern times, removing the incentives that bring illegal migrants to the UK and scaling up the return of those with no right to be here.”