More than 25,000 migrants have crossed the Channel since Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister,

A total of 240 people made the journey in four boats on Saturday, taking the provisional total for 2025 to date to 1,893, according to the data.

This brings the total provisional number of migrants to have crossed the Channel since Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister to 25,135, according to analysis of Home Office data.

Saturday’s provisional figure was the second-highest in 2025, with 260 migrants detected crossing the Channel on January 13.

Tory MP Ben Obese-Jecty said: “240 migrants crossed the channel yesterday with one losing their life in the process.

“When is the new Border Security Commander going to announce his strategic priorities?

“What has he done since being appointed last September?"

A total of 36,816 people crossed the English Channel in 2024.

Last year’s arrivals jumped by 25% from the 29,437 who arrived in 2023, according to the Home Office, but dropped by 20% on the record 45,774 arrivals in 2022.

A Home Office spokesman said: “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.

“The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay.

“We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.”