Jessica Morden, the MP for Newport East, has welcomed the reduction in small boat arrivals while directing criticism at Reform UK representatives Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman, whom she holds responsible for exacerbating the issue.

Since Keir Starmer assumed the role of prime minister, more than 2,000 migrants have reached the UK via small boats, with 326 individuals making the Channel crossing on Saturday alone. Home Office data indicates that crossings recorded thus far this year have decreased by approximately 43 percent compared to the corresponding timeframe in 2025.

Suella Braverman occupied the position of Home Secretary and Robert Jenrick held responsibility for immigration matters during the period when small boat arrivals reached their highest point in 2022. Both parliamentarians have subsequently affiliated themselves with Reform UK.

Mrs Morden now seeks to inform constituents that current statistics demonstrate the effectiveness of the Government’s strategy to minimise small boat arrivals.

She stated that her previous post on this subject generated numerous inquiries regarding arrival figures, prompting her to provide clarification.

She explained that arrival numbers have decreased by over 40 percent compared to the previous year, with small boat Channel crossings following a downward trajectory since their 2022 peak, the same year Robert Jenrick managed immigration policy and Suella Braverman served as Home Secretary.

She noted that nearly 300 individuals linked to smuggling operations have been apprehended over the past twelve months, alongside the confiscation of in excess of 1,100 small vessels and engines.

She further stated that the number of National Crime Agency personnel combatting the criminal networks orchestrating small boat crossings has expanded to approximately 800, nearly doubling from the 376 officers deployed at the beginning of 2025.

She indicated that small boat arrivals constitute roughly 5 percent of overall UK immigration between January 2025 and December 2025.

Reform UK has responded by unveiling its strategy to address small boat crossings. The party’s home affairs representative Zia Yusuf has announced that should the party form the next administration, it would initiate what he described as the most significant military deployment in the English Channel since the Second World War to confront small boat arrivals.