Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has described the small boat crisis as a “fiendishly difficult problem to resolve” after more than 41,000 migrants crossed the English Channel in 2025, with no guarantee numbers will fall by next January.
Speaking before the Home Affairs Select Committee this morning, Ms Mahmood acknowledged the scale of illegal crossings was “unacceptable” but refused to commit to a timeframe for reducing arrivals when pressed by Liberal Democrat MP Ben Maguire.
The Birmingham Ladywood MP told the committee that 41,474 migrants completed the perilous 21-mile journey during 2025, including 23,242 who arrived on British shores during Sir Keir Starmer’s first six months in power. The figures represent a 13 per cent increase in crossings under Labour’s watch last year.
“Those numbers are obviously not where I want to be either,” Ms Mahmood stated. “This is an issue of deep concern in my own constituency and my city as well, so I fully hear what you and your constituents are saying, and it’s exactly where I am as well.”
When challenged on whether the figure would fall by next January, the Home Secretary smiled and replied: “I would love to be in that position. I can’t guarantee I’m going to be in that position.”
Ms Mahmood explained that government measures would take time to come into effect, pointing to planned legislative changes currently being drafted. She admitted there was no “silver bullet” and the issue demanded “long-term, careful, painful work” to combat “every bit” of the problem.
“We will legislate at the earliest opportunity to change the appeal system, to further restrict the way that Article 8 of the Human Rights Act is interpreted,” she told committee members. The Home Secretary indicated a “whole range of legislative changes” had been announced which the government was working “at pace to draft and get right” before passing them in a Bill.
She emphasized that drafting and passing legislation “necessarily does take some time.”
The Home Secretary’s refusal to guarantee a reduction mirrors Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s reluctance to set out specific targets for his “smash the engines” plan unveiled last week. The initiative involves UK and Chinese officers working together to target the supply of small boat engines used by people smugglers, with more than half of such engines manufactured in China.
Ms Mahmood diverged from some Cabinet colleagues who have attributed the crisis to Brexit. When Liberal Democrat MP Paul Koehler described illegal crossings as a “post-Brexit problem,” the Home Secretary dismissed the characterization.
“I’m sure there’s lots of other debate to be had about the rights and wrongs of Brexit, but is Brexit responsible for the boats? I don’t think that’s true,” she stated.
The Home Secretary told MPs that constituents across the country were “deeply concerned” about the issue, acknowledging she shared their frustration with current migration levels. She vowed her team would continue efforts to reduce the number of people smuggling gangs operating across the Channel.
The government is currently drafting legislation to restrict appeal processes and modify interpretation of human rights law as it relates to migration cases. Ms Mahmood indicated these measures would be introduced at the earliest opportunity, though provided no specific timeline for when the legislative changes would be brought before Parliament or when their effects might be felt.
