Record migrant numbers squeeze on to boats for deadly Channel crossings

Analysis from The National reveals more migrants are boarding dangerous vessels, amid overall drop in crossings to UK

New analysis from The National has found that more migrants are being packed on to flimsy boats before attempting dangerous Channel crossings to reach the UK.

Our latest chart reveals the number of migrants boarding the vessels is increasing, but there has been a slight decrease in overall crossings since records began in 2018.

Boats are now carrying more than 60 migrants, on average, with the number often increasing to more than 70. This has resulted in more deaths being directly linked to overcrowding, with recent reports of migrants being crushed during crossings.

“In 2021, the average was about 40 per boat but it is now around 60. So as the numbers on the boat increase, so the risk goes up," Axel Gaudinat, a co-ordinator with the Utopia 56 in Calais, told The National.

A projection by The National shows that if nothing changes then the yearly average number of migrants per boat will hit 105 in five years. Read the full report here.