There were very few recorded small boat crossings pre-Brexit, with the numbers being negligible until around 2018, two years after the 2016 referendum. For example, one report states there are no records of small boat asylum claims before 2018, and another notes that only around 100 arrivals were recorded in 2016.
- Before 2018: Small boat crossings were rare. Some crossings were recorded in 2016, with numbers around 100 arrivals. Other attempts to reach the UK illegally at this time primarily involved stowing away on lorries and ferries, not small boats.
- After 2018: The number of crossings began to increase significantly. This rise is linked to the UK's departure from EU returns agreements, which made it harder to return asylum seekers to other EU countries.
- Increased Crossings: The trend of increasing small boat crossings continued after 2018, with numbers rising dramatically in the following years