An increasing number of refugees and migrants have been entering the United Kingdom by crossing theEnglish Channel (La Manche) since 2018. TheStrait of Dover section between Dover in England and Calais in France represents the shortest sea crossing, and is a long-established shipping route. The shortest distance across the strait, at approximately 20 miles (32 kilometres), is from theSouth Foreland, northeast ofDover in the English county ofKent, toCap Gris Nez, a cape near toCalais in the Frenchdépartement ofPas-de-Calais.[1]
As of 14 November 2025, theHome Office has detected 190,430 migrants who have crossed the English Channel in small boats since 2018.[2][3] Crossing the Channel without permission is a criminal offence under UK law, as is to attempt to use a dangerous type of vessel or any unregistered craft under French law.[4] International refugee law protects most persons who present a particularised claim to seek refugee status (asylum seekers) from being penalised, where their dominant purpose can be shown to be seeking entry to an initial, or further, safe country. More than 130 people are confirmed to havedied in the northern French marine, as opposed to roads, sector during this period of shift to maritime routes. Many more deaths of people attempting to enter Europe without prior permission occur on theMediterranean routes each year.
Seaborne crossings aboard small boats by would-berefugees and largely illegalmigrants were rare before 2018, however some crossings were recorded in the summer of 2016 during theEuropean migrant crisis.[5][6][7][8] More commonly, migrants stowed away aboard trains, lorries, or ferry boats, a technique that has become more difficult in recent years as British authorities have intensified searches of such vehicles and funded the construction of border fences in France.[9][7][10] Prices charged bysmugglers for illegal rides across the Channel in lorries, trains and ferries have risen sharply.[10] Rumours that entering and claiming asylum in the UK would become more difficult onceBrexit went into effect circulated in migrant encampments in France, possibly fomented by people smugglers hoping to drum up business.[11][7][10] Brexit resulted in the UK leaving the Dublin regulations, removing the right to return those unlawful entrants with a provable tie or their own stated non-transit presence in other EU member states.[citation needed]
If migrants who prove themselves to be from several countries arrive in England through illegal means, upon arrival the UK Government is unlikely to reject their claims to asylum. In 2019 at least 1,890 migrants arrived fromFrance via small boats; theHome Office reported that only around 125 were returned to otherEuropean countries.[12]
Since November 2018, the number of migrants crossing has grown. The total number of migrants arriving by this route during 2018 was 297.[13] In 2019 and 2020 the numbers grew significantly, and by September 2020 an estimated total of 7,500 had entered Britain by this route. The number of crossings rose further to 45,755 in 2022 before declining to 29,437 in 2023.[14] Many arrive in small boats, ferries and may enter the country unnoticed, whilst others are apprehended on landing or are rescued when their craft founders off shore.
Until the dispersal of theCalais Jungle in 2016, which contained an estimated 3,000 would-be immigrants to the UK, the majority of asylum seekers entering the country via the English Channel did so through the Channel Tunnel, mostly by hiding in vehicles.
With the increase in numbers crossing the channel in 2019, politicians attached the label "crisis" to the sudden increase in seaborne crossings.[7] FormerHome SecretarySajid Javid preferred to describe the increase in crossings as a "major incident."[15][16] Journalist and formerScottish Labour Party MPTom Harris argued that the small boat crossings that are occurring are not a "crisis."[17]
In 2023 UK Prime MinisterRishi Sunak raised the profile of the channel crossings with his campaign to 'Stop the boats',[18] and his subsequent failed attempt to implement the Conservative Party'splanned relocation of migrants and asylum seekers to Rwanda.[19]
The BBC first reported on small, sporadic numbers of boats with migrants on board arriving off the Kent coast from France in 2015.[20]Although there were boats before this they were not seen as an issue.Tony Smith said during his time asgold commander for theLondon 2012 Olympics and head ofBorder Force, he was unaware of any arrivals by boat and had been "advised that it wasn't a threat" given the difficulty of the currents and activity levels ofshipping lanes.[20] The focus at the time had been more on arrivals via ferries and lorries, and Smith said that "I think the reason people shifted to the boats was because we'd done quite well in stopping them coming in by other routes".[20] Smith said he was "very surprised" to see small boats and dinghies arriving, and speculates that "As soon as the migrants and smugglers realised this was a viable route, they were getting ashore, they weren't being sent back and more started to come."[20]
BBC South East first reported on a handful of boat arrivals in 2014 and 2015, with around 100 people arriving in 2016 - but at that stage the incidents weren't published by the Home Office.[20]
The first migrants to have been recorded landing in the UK by small boat as recorded by the government was on 31 January 2018 when seven people crossed in a single boat.[21] In 2018, 539 refugees and migrants "tried to reach Britain on small boats." Many were intercepted and returned to France.[22] As many as 434 migrants are known to have made the crossing in small boats in October, November and December 2018,[23] 100 in November 2018,[11] 230 in December.[23][24]
Following the surge in migrant crossing incidents in November and December, on 28 December 2018 the UK Home secretary declared a major incident regarding refugees attempting to cross the channel.[16] As many as 227 refugees and migrants were intercepted and returned to the continent by French authorities in 2018, "at least" 95 refugees and migrants in December alone.[15][23] By way of comparison, 26,547 asylum claims were filed by would be refugees in the UK in 2017.[23]
During the course of 2019, almost 1,900 had made the crossing by the end of the year.[25] From July to December 2019, an average of approximately 200 people made the crossing per month.[26]
In April 2020, boat arrivals for that month was over 400 – the highest monthly total ever recorded.[26]
In July, the number of people crossing almost matched the combined total of May and June, with more migrants encouraged by good weather and calm seas.[27]
In August, it was reported that in 2020 so far almost 4,000 people had crossed the Channel illegally, using at least 300 small boats. On 6 August a record number of migrants arrived, at least 235.[28] It has also been observed that while it was originally mostly men that were arriving, young children and pregnant women and babies are now often among those arriving.[29]
The total number of migrants recorded to have crossed into the UK in 2020 was 3,948 as of 7 August.[30]
According to analysis byPA Media, the number of migrants reaching the UK shore has gone beyond 4,100 people in 2020. TheHome Office confirmed that 151 migrants came ashore on 8 August. French authorities claimed that in the first six months of 2020, the number of migrants crossing the English Channel increased by five times, as compared to the last year.[31]
On 19 August aSudanese man, Abdulfatah Hamdallah, drowned in the Channel making the journey from France. He died after his and his friend'sinflatabledinghy, which they were powering usingshovels asoars, capsized. While his companion and British news media claimed he was 16 years old,[32][33]Boulogne-Sur-Mer's deputy public prosecutor Philippe Sabatier said a travel document provided by Mr Hamdallah gave his age as 28. The pair had previously been living in theCalais Jungle for at least two months prior.[34]
By 20 October, the total number of crossings in 2020 reached 7,294.[35]
On 27 October, a Kurdish-Iranian family of five fromSardasht died after a boat capsized outside France on way to reach the UK.[36][37] Artin Irannezhad, a 15 month old toddler from the shipwreck, washed up onKarmøy island on 1 January 2021.[38][39]
By the end of the year, about 635 boats had crossed the Channel, carrying 8,438 people.[40]
On the 1st January 2021, the UK officially left the Dublin regulations as part of the UKs departure from the EU (Brexit). This removed the UK from legislation that legally allowed the UK to return migrants to other EU member states.
Illegal crossings continued in 2021, including 103 people on 10 January and 77 people on 24 February.[40]
On 19 July 430 people crossed the channel, making it the largest crossing on record. 1,850 people had crossed in July alone, which is more than the total for the whole of 2019.[41]
On 11 November, a new record daily number of migrant crossings occurred, with around 1,000 people intercepted by border patrols. The cumulative total of 23,000 for the year was reported as far higher than previous years.[42]
On 24 November,the deadliest incident on record occurred. An inflatable dinghy carrying 30 migrants capsized while attempting to reach the UK, resulting in 27 deaths and one person missing. The victims included a pregnant woman and three children.[43]
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(April 2023) |
On one day in January, 271 migrants crossed the Channel.[44]
In March 2022, More than 3,000 people arrived in small boats, compared to 831 in March 2021.[45]
In April 2022 Boris Johnson announced theRwanda asylum plan in an attempt to deter people from making Channel crossings.
In the first week of August 1,886 people crossed the Channel.[46]
On 14 August, government figures showed that 20,000 people had crossed the channel in small boats since the start of the year. They stated 60,000 were expected to make the crossing in 2022.[47]
On 22 August, a total of 1,295 migrants crossed the Channel in 27 boats, setting a new record for crossings in a single day.[48]
As at 30 October, the total for the year of 2022 stood at 39,430.[49]
The BBC reported that 45,755 people crossed the Channel in small boats for the year 2022.[50]
The Home Office predicted that the number of people arriving on small boats could reach 85,000 for the whole of 2023.[51] In the first three months of the year, 675 Indians arrived by small boats becoming the second most common nationality after Afghans (909). The number of Albanians arriving by small boats fell to 29.[52]
On 12 August, an overloaded boat sank resulting in the death of six people, all believed to be Afghan men in their 30s.[53]
In the first eight months of the year, just over 20,000 migrants have arrived using small boats. This figure is 20% lower than at the same point of time in 2022, with the month of August seeing a 38% reduction in crossings compared to 2022 (8,631 migrants in 2022 compared to 5,369 in 2023).[54] By the middle of November 2023, the number of people arriving by small boat crossings has continued to fall with a 33% reduction recorded compared to the same point of time last year.[55] The Immigration MinisterRobert Jenrick has stated the fall in numbers was achieved in spite of better weather conditions and a significant rise in irregular arrivals across Europe, with the number of people crossing the Mediterranean to Italy more than doubling compared to the previous year.[56]
Overall, 2023 saw a 36% fall in crossings compared to 2022, however theImmigration Services Union described the fall as a "glitch" with "higher numbers" expected for 2024.[57]
On 14 January, five migrants trying to cross the channel were found dead on a beach on the channel coast of northern France.[58]
On 28 February, the death of three migrants attempting to cross the channel fromCap Gris Nez was confirmed by French authorities. The number of Channel crossings is 32% lower than the total recorded at the same point of time last year, but 49% higher than the total at this stage in 2022.[59]
For the first quarter of 2024, the most common nationality of people arriving from small boats was from Vietnam, with the 1,266 Vietnamese arrivals making up 20% of arrivals so far.[60][61] In a statement delivered byRishi Sunak, he stated “Vietnamese arrivals have increased ten-fold and account for almost all of the increase in small boat numbers we have seen this year".[62]
On 23 April, the same day that theSafety of Rwanda bill passed, a French coast guard official reported the death of five migrants from 'crowd panic' during an attempt to cross the channel.[63]
James Cleverly accused Labour of enabling people smugglers through ineffective policies, citing the arrival of over 700 migrants and two deaths in the Channel on 11 August 2024. He called on Labour to reverse these decisions and strengthen border control.[64]
On 3 September, the bottom of a boat overcrowded with migrants ripped open, resulting in 12 deaths.[65] During the year to date, more than 21,000 people had crossed the channel.[66]
At 00:00 on 15 September, rescue services were alerted to a rubber boat north ofBoulogne-sur-mer that had got in a difficult situation. After hitting rocks it had started to come apart. The boat had 60 people on it; 8 people died in the incident and 6 were hospitalized.[67]
On 5 October 2024, four people were killed in two incidents on boats attempting to cross the English Channel from France.[68]
| This section needs to beupdated. The reason given is: What the numbers as of 2025. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(February 2025) |
According toThe Daily Telegraph on 30 May 2025, heavy goods vehicles are putting signs on the back of their lorries saying that they don't go to the UK, written in both English and French.[69]
TheNational Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) reported that during the summer of 2025, police forces across theUnited Kingdom came under "chronic pressure" as a result of protests and disorder linked to themigrant crisis,asylum hotels, andPalestine Action.[70][71] Over June, July and August 2025, more than 3,000protests were managed by police—over three times the number recorded in 2023.[70][71]
In the year to June 2025, UK Government statistics show as many as 110,000 migrants claimed asylum; this was an increase of 14% on the previous twelve month period.[72]
On 6 September 2025, the UK saw its first 'uncontrolled landing' (an unescorted migrant boat reaching British shores) since December 2022.[73]
On 27 September 2025, a boat carrying 125 illegal migrants arrived in Britain, making it the largest number of migrants to cross in a single vessel since the crisis began.[74]
| Year | Arrivals (% change from prior year) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 299 |
| 2019 | 1,843(+516.4%) |
| 2020 | 8,462(+359.1%) |
| 2021 | 28,526(+237.1%) |
| 2022 | 45,755(+60.4%) |
| 2023 | 29,437(-35.7%) |
| 2024 | 36,816(+25.1%) |
| 2025 |
The below charts are demographic breakdowns, as recorded by theHome Office, of the age and sex of small boat arrivals from January 2018 to December 2022.[75] 72,324 of small boat arrivals between 2018 and 2022 were male, 9,527 were female with 3,038 recorded as unknown. 63,101 of arrivals were between the ages of 18 and 39 representing the majority (74.3%) of those arriving.[75]
In the first four months of 2024, there has been a minor change in the countries of origin of small boat of arrivals with Vietnamese nationals now being the most common nationality and only 20 Albanian nationals recorded.[76]
| Rank | Nationality | Small Boat Arrivals | Per cent of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Vietnam | 1,266 | 20.2 |
| 2 |  Afghanistan | 1,216 | 19.4 |
| 3 |  Iran | 709 | 11.3 |
| 4 |  Syria | 694 | 10.3 |
| 5 |  Eritrea | 528 | 8.4 |
| 6 |  Iraq | 425 | 6.8 |
| 7 |  Sudan | 410 | 6.5 |
| 8 |  Turkey | 362 | 5.8 |
| 9 |  India | 83 | 1.3 |
| 10 |  Egypt | 73 | 1.2 |
| All other nationalities | 499 | 8.0 | |
| Not currently recorded | 0 | 0 | |
| Total (to 21 April 2024) | 6,265 | 100 |
In 2023, there has been a change in the countries of origin of small boat arrivals. A 90% reduction in the number of Albanians crossing the Channel has been quoted by some government ministers,[77] with 927 Albanians recorded for 2023 (2022: 12,301). The top 10 nationalities for 2023 are recorded below:[78]
| Rank | Nationality | Small Boat Arrivals | Per cent of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Afghanistan | 5,579 | 19.0 |
| 2 | Iran | 3,581 | 12.2 |
| 3 | Turkey | 3,060 | 10.4 |
| 4 | Eritrea | 2,668 | 9.1 |
| 5 | Iraq | 2,549 | 8.7 |
| 6 | Syria | 2,333 | 7.9 |
| 7 | Sudan | 1,633 | 5.6 |
| 8 | Vietnam | 1,331 | 4.5 |
| 9 | India | 1,194 | 4.1 |
| 10 |  Albania | 927 | 3.2 |
| All other nationalities | 4,582 | 15.6 | |
| Not currently recorded | 896 | 3.0 | |
| Total (2023) | 29,437 | 100 |
The top 10 nationalities by small boat arrivals to the United Kingdom, as recorded by theHome Office, are listed below for January to December 2022.[79] Albanians represented the most significant increase in small boat arrivals, from 16 arrivals in 2018 to 12,301 arrivals in 2022,[79] of whom 95% are male.[80]
| Rank | Nationality | Small Boat Arrivals | Per cent of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albania | 12,301 | 26.9 |
| 2 | Afghanistan | 8,633 | 18.9 |
| 3 | Iran | 5,642 | 12.3 |
| 4 | Iraq | 4,377 | 9.6 |
| 5 | Syria | 2,916 | 6.4 |
| 6 | Eritrea | 1,942 | 4.2 |
| 7 | Sudan | 1,704 | 3.7 |
| 8 | Egypt | 1,160 | 2.5 |
| 9 | Turkey | 1,076 | 2.4 |
| 10 | India | 683 | 1.5 |
| All other nationalities | 3,360 | 7.3 | |
| Not currently recorded | 1,961 | 4.3 | |
| Total (2022) | 45,755 | 100 |
Aggregated figures from January 2018 to December 2023 are recorded below.[79][78]
| Rank | Nationality | Small Boat Arrivals | Per cent of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iran | 21,565 | 18.9 |
| 2 | Afghanistan | 16,670 | 14.6 |
| 3 | Iraq | 15,392 | 13.5 |
| 4 | Albania | 14,483 | 12.7 |
| 5 | Syria | 8,581 | 7.5 |
| 6 | Eritrea | 8,074 | 7.1 |
| 7 | Sudan | 5,428 | 4.7 |
| 8 | Turkey | 4,268 | 3.7 |
| 9 | Vietnam | 3,364 | 2.9 |
| 10 | Egypt | 2,465 | 2.2 |
| 11 | India | 2,073 | 1.8 |
| 12 |  Ethiopia | 1,436 | 1.3 |
| 13 |  Kuwait | 1,190 | 1.0 |
| 14 |  Georgia | 886 | 0.8 |
| 15 |  Somalia | 671 | 0.6 |
| All other nationalities | 6,121 | 5.4 | |
| Not currently recorded | 1,678 | 1.5 | |
| Total (2018–23) | 114,345 | 100 |
In early 2019, it was reported that many of the people making the small boat crossings were from Iran.[10][81][82] In the first half of 2022, Albanians made up 18% of recorded arrivals, Afghans 18% and Iranians 15%.[83] In August 2022, it was reported that British government officials believed that Albanians now made up 50 to 60% of small boat migrant arrivals, with 1,727 Albanian arrivals recorded in May and June 2022 compared to only 898 between 2018 and 2021.[84]
Crossings are usually arranged bysmugglers who charge between £3,000 and £6,000 for a crossing attempt in a small boat.[11][81] The smugglers often use stolen boats for the crossings.[81][85][86][87]
On 2 January 2019 theNational Crime Agency announced the arrest of a 33-year-old Iranian and a 24-year-old Briton inManchester on suspicion of arranging the "illegal movement of migrants" across the English Channel.[88]
| Year | Deaths[89] |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 37 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 15 |
| 2024 | 61 |
| Total | 133 |
Deaths have been reported in every year since the crossings began increasing in 2018.[89] A notable incident occurred in November 2021 when28 people drowned during one crossing attempt.[90][91][89] 2024 saw a significant increase in channel crossing deaths, with 61 dead by the end of the year.[92][93]
Some deaths have been from crushing (asphyxiation) within the boats,[94] which typically are structurally inadequate for a channel crossing, and frequently deflate. Migrants, now up to an average of 53[95] and sometimes almost 100 per boat, may have little choice regarding loading and overlook or are unaware of the maximal design capacity for the conditions (overloading closely correlates with incidence of deaths).[citation needed]
In December 2018 then-Home SecretarySajid Javid cut short a family holiday to devise a response to mounting small boat crossings.[15][16][96] On 31 December 2018 Javid reversed a previous refusal to station additionalBorder Forcecutters or hired crew transfer vessels (the current deployment) in the British half of the Channel (UK Territorial Waters) to intercept migrant small craft on the grounds that they would become a pull factor for migrants as in boats in legal distress (engaging the right to life as imminent risk of fatalities) so rapidly intercepted and thereby enabled to apply for asylum. In agreeing to send more, Javid promised to do "everything we can" to make sure that small boat migration "is not a success", including returning would-be migrants to France.[96] Cutters were reassigned fromGibraltar and theMediterranean to carry out the channel mission.[96]
Javid stated that migrants crossing into UK waters from France or Belgium are not "genuine" asylum seekers, since they are already residing in a safe country.[97]
In response to the increase in arrivals due to calm seas in July and August 2020,[27] Javid's successor,Priti Patel, was reportedly "furious" and responded by saying she planned to make the English Channel (including Dover Strait) an "unviable" route into the UK. She sought military assistance from theRoyal Navy to work with French authorities to prevent UK-bound migrant vessels from leaving France.[29][98]
On 10 August 2020, Prime MinisterBoris Johnson made a statement:
There's no doubt that it would be helpful if we could work with our French friends to stop them getting over the Channel. Be in no doubt, what's going on is the activity of cruel and criminal gangs who are risking the lives of these people taking them across the Channel, a pretty dangerous stretch of water, in potentially unseaworthy vessels. We want to stop that, working with the French, make sure that they understand that this isn't a good idea, this is a very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do. But then there's a second thing we've got to do, and that is to look at the legal framework that we have that means that when people do get here, it is very, very difficult to then send them away again, even though blatantly they've come here illegally.[99][100]
Since 7 September 2020, theUK government has deployed such monitors as theThales Watchkeeper WK450, anunmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to patrol theEnglish Channel. The drones relay information to French andBritish border authorities, who can then rescue haphazard crossings insofar as their passengers enable this without risk to life.[101]
In January 2021, all counter-migration operations in the English Channel were placed under the command of the Royal Navy andOperation Isotrope was launched.
In March 2021, theHome Office published a New Plan for Immigration Policy Statement, which included proposals to reform the immigration system, including the possibility of offshore processing of undocumented immigrants.[102] In April 2021, 192 refugee, human rights, and other groups signed a letter which described these proposals as "vague, unworkable, cruel and potentially unlawful".[103]
Under Home SecretaryYvette Cooper and Prime Minister SirKeir Starmer the incomingLabour government issued a new media statement, on 24 October 2024:
"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."
Background:
The government has recruited Martin Hewitt asBorder Security Commander to lead the co-ordinated response to enhance our border protection.Our new Border Security Command will strengthen our global partnerships and enhance our efforts to investigate, arrest, and prosecute these evil criminals.The Border Security Command, backed by £75 million, is a key part of the plan to protect borders, remove those with no legal right to be in the UK, and introduce new counter-terror style powers.This government has already demonstrated its commitment to removing individuals who have no right to remain in the United Kingdom.Between 5 July and 31 August 2024, there were 1,240 enforced returns of people with no legal right to remain in the UK. This compares with 1,010 over the same period in 2023, an increase of 23%.Including voluntary returns, from 5 July to 29 August, there had been a total of 3,600 returns.[104][failed verification]
A plan to introduce a compulsory digital identity card whichLabour Together, a left wing thinktank, said should be called aBritCard, is expected to be announced by the prime minister,Keir Starmer, in September 2025 as an attempt to address voter concern over illegal immigration.[105]
According to a poll regarding use of the military to patrol the UK territorial waters half of the Channel conducted byYouGov in August 2020, 73% of Britons thought the crossings to be a serious issue.Conservative voters were most concerned, with 97% thinking it serious, whereasLabour voters were least concerned, with 49%.[106] In the2024 general election, which saw the Conservatives move to a distant second place,Reform UK was the third largest party by popular vote, with 14.3 per cent of the vote, closely followed by theLiberal Democrats as fourth largest party.[107] Reform ran with policies including reducing legal immigration, and eliminating illegal immigration by ending the settlement of any illegal immigrants, returning migrants who arrive on boats crossing the English Channel back to France.[108]
After Abdulfatah Hamdallah drowned and washed up on French shores near Calais in August 2020, FrenchNational AssemblyMP forCalaisPierre-Henri Dumont blamed the UK Government for the death because of their refusal to accept asylum claims from outside the country. He also stated that migrants in Calais "do not want to seek asylum in France" and "refuse state support", preferring to "risk their lives" in rafts.[109][better source needed]
However the UK Government recognises that families can become fragmented because of the nature of conflict and persecution, and the speed and manner in which those seeking asylum are often forced to flee their country of origin. It has a Family Reunion visa policy intended to allow those with protection status in the UK to sponsor immediate family members to join them there, where they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country of origin or former habitual residence to seek protection. Immediate family members include a partner and children under 18. The sponsor must be an individual who currently has protection status in the UK. This includes refugee leave and permission to stay on a protection route. Eligible sponsors also include those main applicants resettled under resettlement schemes which confer refugee status, as well as individuals with protection status and settlement, but who do not yet have British Citizenship. Family reunion applications can be made both in-country and out-of-country. Those granted permission to stay or entry clearance under the refugee family reunion policy may be granted permission for a period which expires at the same time as their sponsor and are subject to the same conditions on work, study and access to public funds.[110] According to UNHCR statistics, as of November 2022 there were 231,597 refugees in the UK, not including naturalised UK citizens.[111][needs update]
UNORTHODOX CROSSINGS OF THE DOVER STRAIT TRAFFIC SEPARATION SCHEME Strictly prohibited in the French part of the Dover strait. Strictly prohibited for, scuba divers windsurfs, kitesurfs (or similar), hydroplanes (or similar), fly-boards (or similar), personal watercrafts, towed leisure crafts, crafts exclusively propelled by human energy, beach crafts, and all unregistered crafts
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)