Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has slammed the Channel migrant crisis as a “fiendishly difficult problem” after a staggering 41,474 migrants crossed into the UK in 2025. And she gave no promises that numbers will drop by January.
Labour Sees 13% Rise in Crossings
Speaking to the Home Affairs Select Committee, Mahmood admitted the illegal crossings were “unacceptable.” But when pressed on a clear deadline to cut numbers, she smirked: “I would love to be in that position. I can’t guarantee I’m going to be in that position.”
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The Labour MP for Birmingham Ladywood, Ben Maguire, revealed 23,242 migrants arrived during Keir Starmer’s first six months in office — a 13% surge under Labour’s watch.
“Those numbers are obviously not where I want to be either,” Mahmood said. “This is an issue of deep concern in my own constituency and my city as well.”
No Quick Fix: Government’s “Painful” Plan
Mahmood stressed there’s no “silver bullet” for the problem. She outlined plans for a raft of legislative changes to clamp down on appeals and tighten the Human Rights Act, but said this would take “long-term, careful, painful work.”
