This House of Lords Library topical briefing provides wider context to the migrant crossings in the channel, examines the reasons why greater numbers are undertaking seaborne crossings, and outlines the government's response to the recent rise in crossings.
English Channel Migrant Boat Crossings (208 KB , PDF)
In December 2018 there was a significant increase in the numbers of migrants, many claiming to be Iranian on arrival, attempting to reach the UK by crossing the English Channel in small ill-equipped inflatable boats. This, in addition to the fact that the English Channel contains some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world and has unpredictable weather conditions, were factors that, combined, posed a real danger to lives. It led to the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, declaring the crossings a “major incident” on 28 December 2018. This briefing provides some wider context to the migrant crossings in the channel, examines specifically why migrants appear to be taking more risky and extreme measures to cross the channel on small boats, and outlines what the government’s response has been to this recent rise in crossings. In line with media reports on this subject, this briefing refers to all individuals moving across borders that have not yet completed the legal process of claiming asylum as migrants.
English Channel Migrant Boat Crossings (208 KB , PDF)
This bill seeks to implement the government’s commitments to modernise the asylum and immigration systems, establish a border security command and introduce enhanced powers and offences to tackle immigration crime and people smuggling gangs. It has completed its passage in the House of Commons and is scheduled to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 2 June 2025.
In October 2024, a House of Lords committee published a post-legislative review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The committee argued that the legislation was no longer world-leading. It suggested developments worldwide had led to the UK falling behind internationally and that recent immigration legislation had limited the act’s support infrastructure for victims. It called on government policy to recognise the difference between migrants coming to the UK willingly and victims of trafficking.
Integration and community cohesion have both been identified as important factors to enable people from different communities to live and work together. Like the previous Conservative government, the current Labour government has committed to policies intended to support integration in order to improve community cohesion. This briefing summarises how integration and community cohesion are conceptualised and measured and discusses the debate on effective integration strategies.
