Analysis has found that the average number of migrants crammed onto small boats crossing the Channel has more than doubled over the past five years, reaching a record high under the current Labour government. The rise is being attributed to people smugglers shifting tactics towards so-called "mega-dinghies", which allow more migrants to be packed onto a single vessel, raising fresh concerns about both the scale of Channel crossings and the safety risks posed by dangerously overcrowded boats.

The findings point to smuggling gangs adapting their methods in response to enforcement efforts, using larger inflatable boats to maximise the number of people transported per crossing rather than increasing the number of crossings themselves. This shift towards bigger, more overloaded vessels has implications for both border policy debates and the physical danger faced by migrants attempting the crossing, though the article as provided does not detail the specific figures behind the "more than doubled" and "record high" claims.