Boats this month…

The figures I quoted were taken from AI last night, but here is the latest BBC Verify on the overall migration picture.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c70989jrdweo
As I’ve said before, there are no magic wands on what are very complex issues like this, but there is no doubt that things across the board are heading in the right direction, the figures speak for themselves. Any party that tries to sell the public the line that they would solve illegal migration by any other means than closing all the avenues progressively, and being constantly alert to new ones, is selling a pup.

By employing more Border Control officers, using data collection.
It is doable.
I keep repeating this, but it's worth a try.

I agree, it's still a shocking number. 1,500 or 2,000 on boats might be acceptable for the whole year but not for one month. Remembering these are illegal entries, people who need careful processing to see who they are and why they are here. With so many arriving how can they process them properly?

Asylum system “ on brink of collapse”
MPs warn Home office lacks clear strategy for immigration enforcement
Well there’s a surprise………NOT!!

Casdon

For completeness, the May 2026 totals have now been released.

‘Between 1 May and 31 May 2026, a total of 1,514 migrants crossed the English Channel in 25 small boats. This brings the total number of small boat arrivals for the year to 9,142 as of 3 June 2026, which represents a 38% decrease compared to the same period in 2025.’

This is the lowest number for May since 2020. In May 2025, there were 3738 arrivals.

The actual figure for May is 2,072 not 1,514. My figures are from AI from Migration Watch Tracker. It is a decrease on last year but nowhere near enough.

It needs to be remembered that these are just people arriving on small boats. We all know others are arriving on yachts, car boots and lorries. These are not recorded because nobody knows how many there are.

For completeness, the May 2026 totals have now been released.

‘Between 1 May and 31 May 2026, a total of 1,514 migrants crossed the English Channel in 25 small boats. This brings the total number of small boat arrivals for the year to 9,142 as of 3 June 2026, which represents a 38% decrease compared to the same period in 2025.’

This is the lowest number for May since 2020. In May 2025, there were 3738 arrivals.

Maremia

They are not allowed to work until status is approved.
Think you may have that information already.

Dreadful policy. Two migrant hotels in our small city, which like many is somewhat down on its heels post covid.
Dozens of string, healthy young men kicking their heels in the parks and shopping centres.
Surely they could work in the community? Litter picking, painting over graffiti, keeping the parks tidy, etc? In return for fair payment until their case is assessed?

NotSpaghetti

I wasn't recommending the drug lords settle in villages!

Just saying.

Definitely not 🙏

And there are probably hundreds coming in further along the coast in smaller boats and just disappearing….
But hey ho, nothing to worry about……🙄

Primrose53

MT62 how can that be? We were told the people arriving by rubber dinghy were mainly doctors and dentists - remember? 😝

“Oh you are right there” Primrose. They now will have to wait years to get their new paperwork, has they were told to destroy their paperwork/credentials.
So yeah, still short on Doctors & dentists 🙄

I think we have got enough more than enough people needing homes without thus vobstand drain on our countries resources. I am sick of it lije most people. . I certainly don't want to live by a house of multi occupation mainly full of men. All those that do, you are welcome to have them next door or on your road, even use your dose bedrooms, but you wouldn't want it either, just a lot of ill thought out empty words. . Just keep telling othershow to think. We have minds of our own. .This country has become a joke.

They are not allowed to work until status is approved.
Think you may have that information already.

MT62 how can that be? We were told the people arriving by rubber dinghy were mainly doctors and dentists - remember? 😝

I can see a massive difference in 12 months in our little town with the influx of people
Friends grandchildren, who can’t get on the property ladder, are dependent on rental property but these houses are like ‘rocking horse sh__t’.
Houses are being bought up, or rented out because of the incentives they receive from the government & turned into HMOs
We are off to a meeting this week because what bit of ‘green belt’ we have, they want to turn into massive estates.
It’s just ridiculous because we haven’t got the infrastructure to support all these new homes.
We are short on dentists, short on gps.

sundowngirl

Basgetti - when do you think enough is enough, or do you believe that the whole of Africa can continue to migrate to Europe?

Should we continue to build more and more houses until there are no green spaces left?

Of course immigration is an issue

Absolutely right. As I said before this is changing the face of Britain. We have welcomed unknown people whose cultures are not the same as ours. We know little or nothing about most of them and we naively assume they will integrate which of course some do. But when is enough enough? How many of us really want this?

I wasn't recommending the drug lords settle in villages!

Just saying.

Chestnut

The DM is reporting this morning that they might be coming inland to rural villages. Here's the article

Quote:
Rural inland villages are becoming the new targets for migrants and drugs being smuggled over in yachts.
There are up to 9,000 locations which could be used to sneak people and goods into the country, according to Home Office intelligence estimates.
Many of these are quiet, inland communities far from the coast. The National Crime Agency has even began installing signs in villages warning residents to report suspicious-looking boats.

I read a longer report on the same subject today, also in DM. It was interesting to read about the countries they come from.

It said coming on what they call “small boats” now costs £1-2,000. Coming on these yachts costs £16,000.

I believe a lot are coming in up rivers on the east coast.

NotSpaghetti

I think the "nice villages" will only get the drug lords and higher-up people traffickers - the sorts who might have the finances for private yachts etc!

I wouldn’t wish drug lords on anyone but I hope they get their fair share of Migrants. According to AR she said every town & village to take their fair share- well I haven’t seen any in any of the villages around us.

I think the "nice villages" will only get the drug lords and higher-up people traffickers - the sorts who might have the finances for private yachts etc!

Chestnut

The DM is reporting this morning that they might be coming inland to rural villages. Here's the article

Quote:
Rural inland villages are becoming the new targets for migrants and drugs being smuggled over in yachts.
There are up to 9,000 locations which could be used to sneak people and goods into the country, according to Home Office intelligence estimates.
Many of these are quiet, inland communities far from the coast. The National Crime Agency has even began installing signs in villages warning residents to report suspicious-looking boats.

Oh well hopefully these nice villages will get their fair share.

Maremia

Yes NotSpaghetti, Labour is getting results, but not acknowledgement.

Really! Not with what I’ve just watched this morning.

Thought we were paying French government millions to help keep these people in France?
Just watched a clip of the French authorities taking over from a uk lifeboat. Shows them collecting all the life vests, then taking an empty migrant boat back to France.
Do you think that’s dinghy is going to be destroyed when it goes back to France? 🤔

Yes NotSpaghetti, Labour is getting results, but not acknowledgement.

The DM is reporting this morning that they might be coming inland to rural villages. Here's the article

Quote:
Rural inland villages are becoming the new targets for migrants and drugs being smuggled over in yachts.
There are up to 9,000 locations which could be used to sneak people and goods into the country, according to Home Office intelligence estimates.
Many of these are quiet, inland communities far from the coast. The National Crime Agency has even began installing signs in villages warning residents to report suspicious-looking boats.

"As of Tuesday, a total of 8,565 people had made the journey so far in 2026"

But it is still 8,565 people too many