The UK recorded its second-highest annual number of small boat migrant arrivals in 2025, with 41,472 individuals reaching England's coast. This figure is just below the 2022 record of 45,774. The government, under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, faces pressure on immigration, leading to proposed reductions in refugee protections and asylum seeker benefits. Efforts to combat people smuggling networks have yielded limited success, with both the current and previous administrations struggling to fulfill promises to "stop the boats."