More than 20,000 migrants crossed the English Channel to the UK in the first six months of this year, a rise of almost 50% on the number crossing in 2024 and a new record for the first half of a year.

A total of 19,982 people made the dangerous crossing from France in small boats between the start of 2025 and Monday, including 879 that crossed on that day, the third highest number of arrivals on a single day so far this year, latest Home Office figures show.

Pictures from the Channel on Tuesday showed more boats crossing, meaning the total between 1 January and 1 July has exceeded 20,000 for the first time since data was first collected on migrant crossings in 2018.

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It's the highest number for the first half of a calendar year, 48% higher than the figure for the first six months of 2024, (13,489), and 75% higher than 2023's equivalent figure of 11,433.

There were 13 boats that arrived on Monday, carrying an average of around 68 people on each vessel.

The single-day high for this year is 1,195 on 31 May and the overall record is 1,305, on 3 September 2022.

The numbers were "clearly unacceptable", the prime minister's spokesman said, putting it down to people smuggling gangs which "have been allowed to embed industrial-scale smuggling enterprises across Europe" in recent years.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: "One year into Labour's government and the boats haven't stopped - they've multiplied."

Referring to the government's decision to abandon the Conservatives' plan to deport migrants to Rwanda, he added: "Labour tore up our deterrent and replaced it with fantasy. This is the worst year on record, and it's become a free-for-all.

"We need a removals deterrent so every single illegal immigrant who arrives is removed to a location outside Europe. The crossings will then rapidly stop."

The Number 10 spokesman said the problem requires "international solutions and international partnerships", which is "what you're seeing".

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said in May that he has talked to countries about "return hubs" for failed asylum seekers as the government is looking at the possibility of processing them in third countries before they are deported.

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French officials have also agreed to changes that would allow police patrolling the coast to take action in the sea when migrants climb into boats from the water, which is yet to come into effect.

The government's Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill is also continuing through Parliament, which will hand counter-terror style powers to police and introduce new criminal offences to crack down on people-smuggling gangs.

Last month, Defence Secretary John Healey admitted on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips that the country had lost control of its borders amid a rising number of migrant arrivals.

Last month, French police fired tear gas at migrants as No 10 admitted the situation was deteriorating.

(c) Sky News 2025: Migrant Channel crossings pass 20,000 for the first six months of the year for the first time