Channel crossings may have peaked in 2022 — but they’re rising again under Labour. As numbers climb, costs soar, and security slips, the public is footing the bill.
Small boat crossings across the English Channel are rising again, and they’re doing so under Keir Starmer’s watch.
After a brief drop in 2023, the numbers increased in 2024, and early 2025 shows the same trend. Instead of fixing the problem, Labour has inherited it and poured fuel on the fire.
At the same time, the cost to the taxpayer is soaring, private companies are cashing in, and unknown individuals are arriving without proper checks. Some are even landing undetected.
Let’s break down the numbers, the cost, and the failure of both parties to get a grip on Britain’s borders.
The Rise Since 2018: From Trickle to Torrent
In 2018, the issue of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats was virtually non-existent. Fast forward to 2025, and the numbers have surged dramatically. According to the Home Office, 163,545 migrants have crossed the Channel since 2018, up to 11 May 2024. That’s just the ones we know about.
While the vast majority of boats are intercepted by UK authorities, there have been instances where small boats have landed undetected, so not in the data. How frequent this is, who knows? But even the fact that some are slipping through the net raises serious questions about whether the UK has control over its coastline.
And 2025 is already setting new records. As of May 12, a total of 12,407 migrants have arrived by small boat this year, up from 9,455 at the same point in 2024. That’s a 31 per cent year-on-year increase, making this the fastest start to a year ever recorded for Channel crossings.
Starmer’s Surge: A Magnet for More Crossings
Since Keir Starmer became Prime Minister in July 2024, the situation has worsened compared to the same period a year earlier. In the first nine months of his government, 35,649 individuals crossed illegally, a 30 per cent increase from the same period the previous year.
To be clear, the highest-ever number of crossings happened in 2022 under the Conservative government, with over 45,000 small boat arrivals. Numbers dipped in 2023, offering a brief glimmer of hope. But then they rose again in 2024, and now, under Labour, they’re climbing once more. The trend is undeniable. Both governments have failed to break it, and now Starmer’s administration is accelerating it once again.
Despite Labour’s campaign rhetoric around stronger border controls, real-world enforcement has faltered. To many, Starmer’s government looks like a green light rather than a deterrent.
The Soaring Cost: Hotels, Homes, and Taxpayer Pounds
The financial cost is staggering. A recent National Audit Office report revealed the government is set to spend £15.3bn on asylum accommodation over 10 years. That’s more than triple the original £4.5bn forecast.
Hotel accommodation, though only used for 35 per cent of asylum seekers, accounts for 76 per cent of the costs, with 1.3 billion pounds allocated for this financial year alone. The numbers are eye-watering, and taxpayers are footing the bill.
The Contractor Windfall: Private Profits, Public Funds
It’s not just Serco. The UK’s asylum accommodation contracts are dominated by three private firms: Serco, Clearsprings Ready Homes, and Mears Group.
All three have profited heavily from government outsourcing. Between 2019 and 2024, they collectively made £383 million in profit, according to the National Audit Office.
Serco, for example, advertises directly to landlords, offering five-year guaranteed rent deals, underwritten by public money. They cover council tax, repairs, and utilities. While this sounds attractive to property owners, it raises serious questions. How can local families compete for homes when the government is paying above market rates using taxpayer funds?
This is not just about housing. It’s about accountability. Billions are being handed over to private firms, while the asylum system continues to buckle under pressure.
The Security Blind Spot: Who’s Coming In?
Perhaps the most alarming issue of all is that we don’t know who’s coming in. Many arrivals destroy their documents or arrive without valid ID. The Home Office has admitted it’s often unable to verify identities. This creates a serious national security risk. No one is suggesting all arrivals pose a threat, but without checks, how can we know?
Meanwhile, with increasing reports of landings on quiet coastal areas, the worry isn’t just who we’re processing, it’s who we’re missing entirely.
A Crisis of Leadership
Local councils are buckling under pressure. Housing is stretched. GPs and schools are overwhelmed. Meanwhile, working people are watching their taxes fund hotel stays for individuals who may have entered the UK illegally, with no way to confirm who they are or where they’re from.
This isn’t just a budget issue. It’s about fairness. It’s about security. And it’s about the integrity of the country’s immigration system. This isn’t just about Starmer. It’s about a failure of leadership across the board. From Conservative promises post-Brexit to Labour’s apparent indifference to rising crossings, neither party has got a grip on this crisis.
The result is a broken system. A stretched taxpayer. And a country left asking, how did we lose control of our own borders?
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