Hundreds more migrants have crossed the English Channel this weekend, pushing the year’s total beyond 24,000 – just days after President Donald Trump warned that illegal migration was “killing Europe” and described it as a “horrible invasion”.
Border Force vessels responded to two separate incidents on Sunday morning, with around 100 migrants already transported to Dover harbour by midday. The latest arrivals follow Saturday’s crossings of 122 people from France, bringing the weekend total to over 220 despite deteriorating weather conditions.
The surge comes as more than 600 migrants have arrived in the UK in recent days, continuing a pattern that has seen arrivals increase by 53 per cent compared to the same period last year. Sunday’s crossings pushed the total number of Channel arrivals since the beginning of 2025 to approximately 24,200, compared to just 15,831 at this point in 2024.
Trump’s Stark Warning
The crossings occurred just 48 hours after President Trump touched down at Glasgow Prestwick Airport on Friday and immediately launched into a scathing assessment of European immigration policy. Speaking to GB News presenter Bev Turner, Trump declared: “You’re not going to have Europe anymore, you’ve got to get your act together.
“As you know, last month we had nobody entering our country – nobody, we shut it down,” Trump claimed, contrasting American border policy with what he perceives as European failures.
The US President, who is in Scotland for a five-day visit to his golf resorts and meetings with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, went further in his criticism. “You got to stop this horrible invasion that’s happening to Europe,” he warned. Immigration is killing Europe.
Trump praised unnamed European leaders who have resisted mass migration, stating: “Some people, some leaders have not let it happen. They’re not getting the proper credit.” He declined to name specific leaders to avoid “embarrassing” others but is believed to be referring to Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and Poland’s hardline stance on immigration.
‘Completely Reckless’ Smugglers
The weekend’s crossings come just a day after tragedy struck in the Channel when a man in his fifties died from cardiac arrest aboard a migrant dinghy off Equihen beach in northern France. The boat had turned back to shore after getting into difficulties, but despite rescue efforts, the man was pronounced dead shortly after reaching the beach.
Senior maritime security sources have condemned people smugglers as “completely reckless” for launching boats in poor weather conditions. One source warned that “more loss of life is inevitable” as smugglers take increasing risks to maximise profits.
According to authorities, more than 15 migrants have died in the Channel so far this year, many as a result of being crushed in dangerously overcrowded vessels. Reports indicate that boats designed for 20-30 people are routinely packed with up to 100 migrants, creating deadly conditions.
Government Response
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to use new powers under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill to prosecute those who endanger lives by overloading small boats. The legislation, currently making its way through Parliament, will create a specific offence of “endangering life at sea”, punishable by up to five years in prison.
Cooper has ordered officials to expand the offence to specifically target cases where smugglers pack 80 to 100 people onto single dinghies. The Home Secretary recently stated it was “totally appalling” that children were being “crushed to death on these overcrowded boats, and yet the boat still continues to the UK.”
Under the new legislation, anyone involved in physical aggression, intimidation or coercive behaviour to overload boats, or who prevents offers of rescue at sea, will face prosecution. The law will also make it illegal to handle boat parts that could be used for trafficking, with penalties of up to 14 years in prison.
Rising Numbers
The latest figures represent a significant acceleration in Channel crossings for 2025. Nearly 22,500 people have arrived in the UK so far this year after crossing the Channel, up 57% on the same point last year, according to official statistics.
The increase comes despite the government’s efforts to “smash the gangs” through enhanced enforcement operations in Northern France and increased international intelligence sharing under the new Border Security Command. French police have recently begun new tactics, including puncturing boats in shallow waters to prevent departures.
A Home Office spokesperson responded to the weekend’s arrivals, stating: “The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay and we will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.
International Context
Trump’s comments reflect broader tensions over immigration policy across the Western world. The President claimed that the United States had completely halted illegal immigration, stating: “Last month we had nobody entering our country. Nobody. Shut it down. And we took out a lot of bad people that got there with Biden.”
While these claims are disputed by immigration experts, Trump’s hardline stance contrasts sharply with the ongoing challenges faced by European nations, particularly the UK, in managing irregular migration across the Channel.
The President’s warning that immigration is “killing Europe” echoes rhetoric often associated with far-right theories about demographic replacement, though he framed his concerns in terms of security and sovereignty rather than ethnic composition.
Enforcement Challenges
Despite increased resources and new legislation, enforcement remains challenging. New Home Office data revealed that just five people have been convicted of piloting small boats across the English Channel so far in 2025, prompting criticism from former Conservative MP Sir John Redwood who called the figures “completely unacceptable.
The UK continues to pay France millions of pounds annually to help prevent crossings, though questions remain about the effectiveness of this cooperation. French authorities report preventing thousands of attempted crossings, but the numbers reaching UK shores continue to rise.
As summer approaches and weather conditions typically improve for crossings, authorities on both sides of the Channel face mounting pressure to prevent further tragedies whilst addressing the complex political and humanitarian challenges posed by irregular migration. With Trump’s provocative comments adding international dimension to the debate, the issue seems set to remain at the forefront of British and European politics throughout 2025.
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