Channel crossings dropped to a six-year seasonal low this summer, with 6,949 small-boat arrivals recorded between June and August, the lowest total for this period since 2020. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood credited the fall to greater international co-operation disrupting people-smugglers' supply chains and a £662 million agreement with France that has put more officers on beaches and introduced new interception tactics, though critics argue poor weather also played a part. The figures matter because Channel crossings remain a politically charged issue, and the government is under pressure to show its approach, including a "one-in, one-out" returns scheme with France, is working ahead of talks between Sir Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron.

August crossings fell 46 per cent year-on-year to their lowest level since records began in 2018, while July saw a 64 per cent drop and June a 50 per cent fall compared with the same months in 2025. Overall, 16,391 migrants have crossed so far this year, down 43 per cent on last year. However, the government's record has still drawn criticism after a record 230 migrants crossed on a single 49ft dinghy in August, and a French investigation was launched following the death of an Afghan migrant and injuries to others on a boat that was still allowed to continue to the UK.