Small boats, big waves: how channel crossings are shaping attitudes to immigration

Small boats, big waves: how channel crossings are shaping attitudes to immigration

In the UK, small boats crossing the English Channel represent a tiny share of overall immigration and yet attract disproportionate media and political attention. Why do these crossings provoke such strong reactions - and can they reshape national attitudes toward immigration?

A new study Small Boats, Big Impacts - the Ripple Effect of Irregular Migration by CAGE Research Associate Apurav Bhatiya and co-author Shanta Kadam, finds that public opinion is not just shaped by the scale of migration, but by its visibility and media portrayal.

Using data from the British Election Study and linking it to daily small boat arrival figures from 2018 to 2024, the researchers show that a spike in small boat crossings in the days leading up to the survey leads to a significant drop in public support for immigration, including legal migration routes.

• Read How small boat crossings shift public opinion by Apurav Bhatiya and Shanta Kadam in UK in a Changing Europe
• Listen to the Byline Podcast: Small boats and the rising tide of racism