The first boatload of illegal migrants of 2025 has crossed the English Channel, GB News can exclusively reveal.
A Border Force vessel picked up the migrants from their small boat early on Saturday morning - and is currently on its way back to Dover.
It comes after almost 37,000 people made the treacherous journey in small boats last year.
Some 1,500 crossed over the Christmas period, but poor weather conditions have meant no migrants have attempted the crossing since December 29.
Over 23,000 migrants have arrived on Britain's beaches since the General Election - exactly six months ago today.
Official Home Office statistics show that 2024 had the second highest number of illegal arrivals in a single year since 2018, when the small boats crisis began.
While the 2018 and 2019 figures were relatively low, with 299 and 1,843 recorded crossings respectively, the figure soared to 8,466 in 2020.
It leapt even further in 2021 with 28,526 crossings were counted, before reaching a record 45,774 in 2022.
The news that a four-day-old 2025 has already seen a small boat brought back to Britain will doubtless pile pressure on Labour's promise to cut illegal migration and "smash the gangs".
The Prime Minister has accused the former Conservative Government of running "a one-nation experiment in open borders" and has claimed cutting migration "will only be done with a serious plan" - but illegal migrants are still crossing the Channel.
On December 27, the total number of migrants to have arrived in Britain since the start of the crisis crossed 150,000 - more people than the city of York.
GB News has approached the Home Office for comment. More to follow...
Find Out More...
A Border Force vessel picked up the migrants from their small boat early on Saturday morning - and is currently on its way back to Dover.
It comes after almost 37,000 people made the treacherous journey in small boats last year.
Some 1,500 crossed over the Christmas period, but poor weather conditions have meant no migrants have attempted the crossing since December 29.
Over 23,000 migrants have arrived on Britain's beaches since the General Election - exactly six months ago today.
Official Home Office statistics show that 2024 had the second highest number of illegal arrivals in a single year since 2018, when the small boats crisis began.
While the 2018 and 2019 figures were relatively low, with 299 and 1,843 recorded crossings respectively, the figure soared to 8,466 in 2020.
It leapt even further in 2021 with 28,526 crossings were counted, before reaching a record 45,774 in 2022.
The news that a four-day-old 2025 has already seen a small boat brought back to Britain will doubtless pile pressure on Labour's promise to cut illegal migration and "smash the gangs".
The Prime Minister has accused the former Conservative Government of running "a one-nation experiment in open borders" and has claimed cutting migration "will only be done with a serious plan" - but illegal migrants are still crossing the Channel.
On December 27, the total number of migrants to have arrived in Britain since the start of the crisis crossed 150,000 - more people than the city of York.
GB News has approached the Home Office for comment. More to follow...
Find Out More...