Has good weather helped to fuel record small boat crossings?

Good weather conditions and an increase in the number of "red days" have been identified by the UK government as key factors fueling record small boat crossings in the English Channel. Home Office data shows a notable rise in the frequency of such days, with 190 recorded in the past 12 months - an 80% increase from the previous year. The figures also reveal a surge in the use of "severely overcrowded small boats," with 33 boats in the year to April 2025 carrying 80 or more people, compared to just one boat in the same period two years prior. Critics accuse the government of shifting blame to the weather for the escalating migrant crossings, calling for a more robust response to the issue.