Facts about Channel crossings and why people make them

On 15 September 2024, eight people died when the boat they were travelling in sunk off the coast of France.

"We are deeply saddened to hear more people have lost their lives trying to cross the Channel, " said Alex Fraser, British Red Cross UK director for refugee support. "This tragic news comes less than two weeks since 12 people died taking the same perilous route. Nobody risks their life travelling across the Channel in a small boat unless they feel they have no other choice. More safe routes are urgently needed to help prevent people from taking dangerous journeys to reach the UK."

As the UK’s biggest independent provider of refugee services in the country, the British Red Cross helps over people in the UK at all stages of the asylum process every year.

We hear many stories from the people we support, and know exactly why asylum seekers take make the tough decision to cross the Channel.

Joining family already in the UK

Many people cross the English Channel in the hopes of finding and joining family who have already made it to the UK. Often people are separated from their loved ones as they flee their homes or on their journey in search of safety, which can take many years.

If you think about where you might go if your home was being bombed or your life was at risk because of persecution, it would probably be somewhere where you know someone. We would all want to be able to hug and hold our family again after experiencing such horrors.

Knowing some of the language

Knowing some of the language gives women, men, and children the best possible chance of rebuilding their lives. It is much easier for people to make friends, volunteer, study at school, book doctors’ appointments, and navigate the complex legal process of claiming asylum if they have some familiarity with the language.

Refugees have had to leave everything – homes, jobs, and family – behind. It’s understandable they would seek out something familiar that would help them feel safe.

Refugees in the UK

There is a narrative that too many people seek asylum in the UK. But in fact, the UK hosts less than 1% of the world’s refugees. Most refugees (71%) seek safety in neighbouring countries to their own. For example, Jordan currently hosts 1.3 million refugees from neighbouring Syria. 

The UNHCR reports that low- and middle-income countries host 71% of the world’s refugees. Countries like Türkiye, Iran, Colombia, Germany, and Uganda host the largest numbers.

Whatever people's reasons for arriving in the UK, it's important that they are treated with dignity and fairness, and that they are given the support they need to rebuild their lives in the community. We see the benefits of this every day – both for refugees and the wider society. 

• Listen to the VOICES Network's podcast
• Learn more about refugees and people seeking asylum
• Help us support more refugees. Sign up for Miles for Refugees.

Understand more about the asylum process

Learn about the asylum process and the people seeking safety in the UK.

• Myth busting: asylum seekers and refugees
• Help for refugees and asylum seekers
• Learn about how we can help young refugees and asylum seekers