People and boats are different measures
The dashboard counts detected small boat arrivals across the English Channel. The arrivals column records people; the boats column records vessels. A change in one measure does not automatically mean an equivalent change in the other.
These figures do not represent all UK immigration. They should not be labelled total migration, net migration or total asylum claims. The scope comes from the GOV.UK small boat activity publication.
What do “this week”, “this month” and “this year” mean?
Our weekly page uses a rolling seven-day window ending on the latest official data date. That window can cross a month boundary and need not run from Monday to Sunday.
The monthly page counts recorded dates in the current calendar month. The yearly page counts recorded dates from 1 January. Each page states the last official date included.
Why are there two update dates?
The latest official date is the newest day covered by the arrival data. The snapshot refresh time tells you when this website retrieved and processed the sources. Refreshing the website today does not turn yesterday's published figures into a count for today.
The historical spreadsheet and the daily publication may cover different dates. We combine the recorded dates once each, using the newer daily publication for overlaps. If the cumulative record has missing dates, the updater retains the previous snapshot rather than publishing an understated yearly total.
What is the rolling estimate?
It is our extrapolation for the gap after the last recorded date. We take a complete seven-day average and apply it to a gap of no more than seven days. It is not a recorded arrival count, a government figure or a prediction of the effect of a policy.
If coverage is incomplete or the official source is too old, the projection stops. A zero in the official record and an unpublished day mean different things: we do not silently turn a missing day into zero arrivals.
Is the cost figure actual spending?
No. The cost scenario applies a flat £144 daily assumption to each recorded or projected arrival from its date through the calculation date. It assumes everyone remains in scope. It does not track accommodation changes, departures, decisions or invoices.
A quick check before sharing a figure
Check the measure, the start and end dates, and whether the figure is official or estimated. Link to the source and include its coverage date. The dashboard provides the dated snapshot and links to the source publication.