New record for arrivals on single small boat after 230 migrants land in UK

Craig Munro | Senior Politics Reporter Published August 10, 2026 11:35am Updated August 10, 2026 11:35am It has become relatively common to see vessels carrying more than 100 people (Picture: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire) A record 230 migrants have arrived in the UK on a single small boat, underscoring a change in tactics by people smugglers. The Home Office confirmed the arrival of the vessel at the Western Docks in Dover in the early hours of this morning. It comes less than a week after another boat containing 173 people caught on fire in the English Channel, with all being returned to France after being rescued. Today’s crossing shatters the previous record of 165 migrants making it across to UK shores, set in July. A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘This latest incident demonstrates the reckl