London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 15, 2026

Channel migrants: Nearly 1,000 people cross in single day

Channel migrants: Nearly 1,000 people cross in single day

Almost 1,000 migrants crossed the English Channel in 24 small boats on Saturday, the Ministry of Defence says.

It brings the total number of migrants making the journey from France so far this month to 6,395.

Government figures collated by the BBC show 39,430 people have crossed on small boats so far this year, compared with 28,461 who arrived in 2021.

Conditions at a migrant processing centre in Manston have been described as "wretched".

The Ministry of Defence said 990 people had made the crossing from France on Saturday.

David Neal, independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, visited the site at Manston Airport on Monday and warned it had already passed the point of being unsafe.

He told MPs he had written to the home secretary about the dangerous conditions at the centre, run by the Home Office.

It was designed for no more than 1,600 people but Mr Neal said there were 2,800 living there on the day he visited.

Manston immigration holding facility was designed to hold up to 1,600 people


Home Office officials told the Home Affairs Committee the nationality of those crossing the Channel was changing, with Albanians now the biggest group.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has said she wants to use the Nationality and Borders Bill to prosecute many more migrants illegally arriving in Kent.

Ms Braverman also hopes to expand the stalled scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.


Manston's 'diphtheria outbreaks'


Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg programme: "What you've got to do is overhaul the whole system and take stronger action to prevent the dangerous boats crossing the Channel that are putting lives at risk.

She described condition at Manston as "appalling, with diphtheria outbreaks".

Ms Cooper said delays in processing arrivals had "created huge backlogs".

"We need a new agreement in place with France around the Channel crossings, and we need a significant increase in the activities of the National Crime Agency because we've got a proliferation of criminal activities in the Channel that has increased in the couple of years."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Parliament Opens Week of Fast-Tracked Security and Infrastructure Legislation
Northern Ireland Projects £21 Million Boost From Major Cultural and Sporting Events
UK and Japan Sign Technology Security Pact to Strengthen AI and Supply Chain Cooperation
UK Welcomes US-Iran Peace Breakthrough Aimed at Restoring Strait of Hormuz Shipping
British Forces Intercept Russian Shadow Fleet Oil Tanker in English Channel Sanctions Operation
UK to Ban Social Media for Under-16s Under Landmark Online Safety Expansion
Anti-Immigrant Riots Spread Across Belfast, Raising Security Concerns
Ministry of Defence Opens Europe's Largest Drone Testing Facility in Swindon
Kemi Badenoch Calls for Deregulation to Restore City's Global Competitiveness
UK Housing Market Posts Sharpest June Price Decline in Fourteen Years
NHS Waiting Lists Rise to 7.22 Million as Diagnostic Delays Reach New Highs
Makerfield By-Election Raises Prospect of Labour Leadership Challenge
Bank of England Expected to Hold Interest Rates at 3.75% Despite Growing Policy Divisions
Royal Marines Seize Sanctioned Russian Oil Tanker in English Channel
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Set to Ban Social Media and AI Chatbots for Under-16s
United Kingdom Markets Rally After US-Iran Deal Reopens Strait of Hormuz
Defence Secretary John Healey Resigns Over Military Spending Dispute, Triggering Cabinet Crisis
Royal Navy Takes Part in Trooping the Colour for the First Time in 350 Years
Think Tank Warns Labour's European Union Reset Could Carry Significant Economic Costs
UK Semiconductor Centre and Japan's Rapidus Forge Advanced Chip Manufacturing Partnership
UK and Japan Launch Offshore Wind Compact Backed by £9 Billion in Investment
Starmer and Trump Discuss Iran Peace Efforts and Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz
United Kingdom and Japan Sign £18 Billion Investment Partnership Focused on Clean Energy and Advanced Technology
Barclays Moves to Acquire GoHenry in Bid to Expand Youth-Focused Fintech Services
UK Lupus Patients Show Remission in NHS Genetic Therapy Trial
London Clean Air Zones Linked to Fewer Emergency Hospital Admissions for Respiratory Illness
UK World Cup Scheduling Research Suggests Energy Bill Savings From Off-Peak Usage
UK Economic Anxiety Rises Among Young People Over Long-Term Job Prospects
NHS Expands Meningitis B Vaccination Programme for School Leavers and New Students
London Ultra-Low Emission Zone Linked to Drop in Emergency Respiratory Hospital Admissions
Derbyshire Police Officer Investigated Over Alleged Use of AI-Generated Evidence in Case Files
UK Parents Back Proposed Under-16 Social Media Ban as Online Safety Concerns Grow
Four Palestine Action Activists Jailed Over Sabotage Attack on Israeli-Linked Arms Facility
Barclays to Acquire GoHenry in Push to Expand Digital Banking for Children and Teenagers
UK Government Reaffirms Defence Spending Commitment Amid Cabinet Pressure and Political Disputes
Belfast Unrest Prompts Security Review as Paramilitary Activity Comes Under Renewed Scrutiny
SpaceX IPO Pushes Elon Musk to Become World’s First Trillionaire After Record Valuation Surge
United States and Iran Near Landmark Peace Framework as Negotiations Reach Final Stages
UK Competition Watchdog Investigates Ryanair Family Seating Charges
Imperial College Study Links London Emissions Charges to Lower Hospital Admissions
Scottish First Minister Launches US Trade Initiative Ahead of World Cup Match in Boston
Fifteen Million Workers Gain Expanded Sick Pay Rights Under UK Reforms
British Retail Investors Secure Record Participation in SpaceX Share Offering
Keir Starmer and Micheál Martin Coordinate Response to Northern Ireland Violence
NHS Prepares for Major Disruption as Resident Doctors Announce Four-Day Strike
Bank of England Expected to Hold Rates as Energy Costs Complicate Inflation Outlook
Britain Moves to Ban Under-16s From High-Risk Social Media Platforms and AI Chatbots
UK Economy Contracts as Middle East Conflict Weighs on Growth
Defence Secretary John Healey Resigns Over Military Spending Dispute With Treasury
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Faces Leadership Crisis After Senior Cabinet Resignations
×