781 migrants cross Channel in single day, 2026 record

September 24, 2026 at 04:50 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

A total of 781 migrants crossed the English Channel in 10 small boats on Wednesday, the highest single-day figure so far in 2026, according to Home Office data. The crossings bring the year-to-date total to 18,565, down 42% from the same period in 2025. French authorities reported a man died of cardiac arrest while attempting to board a vessel near Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Key Facts

781 migrants arrived in 10 small boats on Wednesday, the highest single-day total of 2026.
Year-to-date crossings stand at 18,565, down 42% from 32,188 in the same period of 2025.
French authorities reported a man died of cardiac arrest while attempting to board a vessel near Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Wednesday's figure was the highest daily total since 803 people arrived on 20 December 2025.
The highest single-day total in recent years was 1,305 migrants on 3 September 2022.

Record Crossings

The Home Office said 10 migrant boats arrived on Wednesday, carrying 781 people. Wednesday's figure includes a dinghy carrying 51 people which departed from Normandy on Monday morning and spent more than 33 hours at sea. About 150 people crossed from France in three small boats on both Monday and Tuesday, following five days with no crossings at all. The highest total in one day in recent years was on 3 September 2022, when 1,305 migrants made the crossing.

Political Reaction

Labour Party deputy leader Lucy Powell said the government had "significantly reduced" the number of people arriving on small boat crossings after "a huge amount of work". Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Keir Starmer's pledge to 'smash the gangs' was "always a farce". Liberal Democrats home affairs spokesman Max Wilkinson said the government should "tackle the root cause by entering the EU's landmark migration and asylum pact". Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said his party would "deploy the Royal Navy and stop the boats".