Activity involving small boats in the English Channel
The Home Office has been publishing weekly provisional data on small boat arrivals and related French prevention activities since 2018. This information is updated every Friday and can be found on the Home Office's website.
The data includes figures for small boat arrivals across the English Channel, as well as details about French prevention. The prevention activity encompasses individuals who are prevented from departing France, those who return to France, and findings of maritime equipment. The data on maritime equipment finds is an integral part of the French prevention activity.
While the finalised data on small boat crossings since 2018 is published in the quarterly **Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release** under the topics "How many people come to the UK irregularly", the data published weekly is still provisional and subject to change, including reduction.
For those seeking more information about the data, the Home Office can be contacted at [email protected]. For press enquiries, the Home Office newsdesk can be reached at 0300 123 3535.
It is important to note that the weekly data is intended to provide a timely snapshot of the situation and should not be considered the final or definitive figures. The quarterly publication offers a more comprehensive and accurate overview of the small boat crossings since 2018.
The time series for small boat arrivals, French prevention, and maritime equipment finds are all updated weekly on Fridays, offering a continuous flow of information to the public. This transparency aims to keep the public informed about immigration-related activities across the English Channel.
The weekly publication of data includes details about the weather conditions, as it could significantly impact small boat arrivals across the English Channel, making it a relevant factor in environmental-science and climate-change studies. Additionally, understanding the weather patterns in relation to small boat crossings can aid in the prediction of future climate-change impacts on the environment.
