Nearly 1,000 people crossed the Channel to the United Kingdom in two days, after a three-week pause in small-boat arrivals, according to figures reported on 31 October 2026.

Some 671 people in nine boats made the journey on Friday, while 263 people in three boats crossed on Thursday. Together, the two days account for 934 arrivals. Thursday's crossings broke a 21-day gap without arrivals, described as the longest such spell this year, during a period of high sea swell and wind.

Arrivals in Dover

Footage captured by the Press Association on Friday showed a man moving towards a boat holding a knife while in waist-deep water, underlining the risks faced on the crossing.

The total number of arrivals for 2026 stood at 21,869 after Friday, according to Home Office figures. With just over two months of the year remaining, and crossings typically lower in late autumn and winter, the data suggests the 2026 total is unlikely to pass the figure for 2025.

A lower summer, officials say

The Government has said crossings are down significantly, with the lowest number of summer arrivals since 2020 recorded this year. Summer is usually a period when journeys rise, in part because of warmer weather.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: "The boats keep coming, the smugglers keep operating and Labour keeps making excuses." The figures cover the two days to Friday, and further arrivals over the weekend would add to the 2026 total.