Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate the Government has made of the number of illegal seaborne migrants that have crossed the Short Straits (a) from 1 October to 31 December 2018, (b) from 1 January to 31 March 2019 and (c) since 1 April 2019.

The Permanent Secretary’s letter to the Home Affairs Select Committee on small boat attempts up to and including February 2019 can be found here:

https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/home-affairs/Correspondence-17-19/19-03-05-Letter-from-Sir-Philip-Rutnam-KCB-Permanent-Secretary-Home-Office-Migrant-boats-in-the-channel.pdf

The data since February is currently being reconciled to ensure accuracy. No decision has been taken on mode or frequency of any future publication of this data.