On August 10th, the Home Office of the United Kingdom confirmed that a dinghy carrying 230 illegal immigrants arrived in England after crossing the English Channel from France, setting a new record for the highest number of illegal immigrants on a single boat. This broke the previous record set on July 23rd when 165 people successfully crossed the English Channel on a small boat.
According to reports from British media, the inflatable dinghy, dubbed the “super dinghy,” arrived in Dover early on August 10th. The boat mainly carried young men but also included children and infants.
Reported by French radio station “Radio 6,” the French maritime rescue organization, Société Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer, based in Berck-sur-Mer, noted a serious overcrowding situation on the 49-foot-long inflatable dinghy when it arrived at the northern French coast on August 9th to pick up illegal immigrants.
The rescue organization stated that the boat was originally carrying around 50 people, but over 150 more people attempted to board, resulting in around 30 individuals falling into the water.
Ultimately, the boat sailed towards England with 230 people on board, including more than 20 children. A French official described this as “another sad new record.”
A photo taken at the departure showed the boat packed with people, with many individuals having their legs immersed in water.
The record-breaking dinghy that arrived on Monday has made headline news in major UK media outlets. Some headlines read, “Dinghy Crisis Escalating into Major Crisis.”
The Sun reported that asylum seekers arriving in the UK are typically accommodated in hotels or immigration camps, provided with food and living allowances, and offered legal representation during asylum case proceedings.
Calculating an estimated cost of £106,000 per person, accommodating and processing the 230 immigrants seeking asylum could require around £25 million in expenses in the UK.
Following the sudden influx of over 70,000 illegal immigrants from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage vowed to utilize the Royal Navy for the largest military operation in the English Channel since World War II to prevent illegal immigrant “invasion” if the party wins elections.
The ruling Labour Party is focusing on cooperation with France.
Andy Burnham, the newly appointed Labour Prime Minister of the UK, stated on GB News on August 11th that he could not promise to end the issue of dinghy illegal crossings before the next general election, which was originally scheduled for 2029 but could be held earlier.
The Prime Minister expressed that the Labour Party will remain focused on addressing the issue and plans to “eradicate” it but added, “I think making a prediction based on a timeline now would be wrong.”
Analysis of Home Office data by Sky News showed that under former Prime Minister Keir Starmer, 79,275 illegal immigrants crossed the English Channel by dinghy over two years.
After Burnham succeeded Starmer, 3,003 illegal immigrants arrived by dinghy within his first 22 days in office. This indicates an average daily arrival of 137 individuals, higher than the previous average of 106 individuals per day.
However, Burnham assumed power in the summer, which is a peak period for border crossings, and the average figures are expected to decrease in colder winter months.
Previously, illegal immigrants were often smuggled in truck compartments through the Channel Tunnel to enter the UK. The practice of using dinghies to illegally enter the UK has become common since 2018 as other smuggling routes faced increased scrutiny.
Notably, UK media including The Telegraph reported that these overcrowded inflatable boats carrying illegal immigrants to the UK are usually manufactured in China.
The reports highlighted that these inflatable dinghies, typically around 15 feet long, have been available on the Chinese e-commerce platform Alibaba in recent years, specifically targeting human traffickers.
Regarding the issue of these dinghies, Burnham stated, “I know people will be worried after seeing that photo yesterday.” He added, “This indicates criminal groups are changing tactics, but we will also adapt.”
The Prime Minister reiterated his statement made during his visit to Dover on August 2nd: “We are now adjusting our strategy and will spare no effort in tracking them down.”
At the same time, Burnham emphasized that the total number of individuals entering the country illegally by boat had decreased by approximately 40% compared to the same period in 2025.