// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Hundreds of migrants enter UK after 10-day lull
Nearly 500 migrants have arrived in the UK in one day, in the first boats to successfully cross the Channel in 10 days.
The seven vessels that made the crossing were the first since 17 August when 250 people arrived.
Dinghies arrived in British waters until late into the night on Thursday, with 494 people being brought into the Border Security Command compound in Dover, Kent.
The total number is down overall this year, according to BBC Verify analysis of government data.
Between 1 January and 27 August 2026, a total of 16,391 people crossed the English Channel by small boat from France. This was down by 43% on the same period the previous year.
These crossings have become the most common way for people to be detected entering the UK illegally since 2020.
Nearly all those who arrive by small boat claim asylum. Under international law, this means they are allowed to stay in the country while their asylum application is considered.
Small boat arrivals made up 40% of asylum applications between July 2025 to June 2026.
Boats that arrived in the UK from 28 August 2025 to 27 August 2026 carried an average of 68 people. This has more than doubled since 2021.
Experts say overcrowding in boats makes crossings riskier. At least 84 people died while attempting to cross the Channel in 2024, according to the United Nations (UN).