Hundreds of migrants cross the English Channel over weekend with 23,129 making the journey so far in 2026

Published: 11:24 EDT, 8 November 2026 | Updated: 11:24 EDT, 8 November 2026 Hundreds of migrants have crossed the English Channel this weekend – taking the total to 23,129 people making the journey so far in 2026. More than 350 people arrived in Britain by small boat on Saturday, the latest migration figures revealed. The surge, which saw some 363 migrants cross in five boats, shredded Andy Burnham's claims to have a grip on the crisis. This followed 161 people making the journey in three boats on Friday, breaking a four-day period of no crossings.Now 23,129 migrants have made the perilous journey across the English Channel since the start of 2026. On Wednesday it was revealed that 10,136 migrants had crossed during Mr Burnham's premiership. An average of 96.5 migrants entered Britain per day – higher than the recorded averages under Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson and Theresa May. The latest arrivals come amid growing concerns over violence on the French coastline, where extraordinary footage has captured migrants punching and shoving each other in frantic attempts to board boats bound for Britain. A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to the Border Security Command compound in Dover, Kent on Friday More than 350 people arrived in Britain by small boat on Saturday, the latest migration figures revealedThe numbers crossed this year represent the lowest number for the year to date since 2022, when 39,939 people made the journey by November 7. Last week, a French presidential candidate ripped into Britain's 'shocking' immigration policies and blamed them for the small boats crisis. Édouard Philippe, President Macron's former centre-Right prime minister, vowed he would tear up agreements between Britain and France if the UK didn't change its 'absurd' approach. He said it was 'incoherent' for French police to attempt to stop migrants crossing the Channel, while Labour's policies entice them over – and blamed Britain for the regular deaths of migrants. The British government signed a three-year deal in April in which it paid France £662million to try to stop migrants launching small boats from its northern beaches – where the vast majority set off from.This covers around half the cost of France's policing operation to intercept migrants, with the rest made up by the French government.Mr Philippe said: 'It is unacceptable that the funding offered by the UK is insufficient relative to the expenses incurred by France, and it is unacceptable … that the UK maintains rules on its territory that invite migrants to cross the Channel.'It comes as Shabana Mahmood on Monday unveiled her new immigration rules, which have been significantly watered down following a highly damaging battle within the Labour Party.The Home Secretary's proposals to make low-skilled foreign migrants wait far longer for 'settled' status in Britain have been rewritten after strident opposition from her party's Left wing. The latest arrivals come amid growing concerns over violence on the French coastline, where extraordinary footage has captured migrants punching and shoving each other in frantic attempts to board boats bound for BritainChris Philp MP, Shadow Home Secretary, told the Daily Mail last week: 'Open-borders Burnham has done nothing to tackle illegal immigration, and his watering down of settlement reforms will only make the problem worse by keeping the incentives to come here illegally firmly in place.'We need to smash those incentives entirely by deporting illegal immigrants and ending benefits for foreign nationals. There must be no reward for breaking into Britain.'Only the Conservatives have the backbone to deliver a borders plan including leaving the ECHR and deporting all illegal immigrants. That is how we end the crisis in the Channel.'