A record-breaking 820 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats on 21 May, the highest daily total so far this year. Tragically, two died during the journey, bringing this year’s Channel death toll to 12. A French naval vessel recovered their bodies and assisted others in distress. The rising number of crossings (now exceeding 13,500, a 30% increase from last year) underscores the continued urgency of the crisis. Despite a fall in overall net migration to an estimated 616,000 in 2024, the Government faces mounting pressure over its handling of illegal crossings. Nearly 30,000 have been deported since Labour took office, including foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers, but only a small proportion of them arrived in small boats. Critics, including the Refugee Council, warn that enforcement alone is failing, with smuggling networks profiting from human desperation. Meanwhile, politicians debate the future of immigration, enforcement, and public perception amid a deeply divided national conversation.