**MYTH:** As of March 2026, 195,521 "illegal migrants" have crossed the English Channel in small boats, with 147,568 "illegal immigrants" arriving between 2018-2024. **FACT:** This claim contains a future date that cannot be verified and uses misleading language about asylum seekers' legal status. People crossing the Channel in small boats are primarily asylum seekers exercising their legal right under international law to seek protection, regardless of how they arrive in the UK. Under the 1951 Refugee Convention, to which the UK is a signatory, individuals cannot be considered "illegal immigrants" simply for seeking asylum, even if they arrive without prior authorization. While Home Office statistics do track Channel crossings and show that Afghans, Syrians, and Iranians have been among the most common nationalities in recent years, these figures represent people fleeing war, persecution, and human rights abuses in their home countries. The framing of asylum seekers as "illegal" before their cases are determined misrepresents both UK and international law, which explicitly protects the right to seek asylum and prohibits penalizing refugees for their manner of arrival when fleeing danger. *Sources: UNHCR 1951 Refugee Convention, UK Home Office immigration statistics, Refugee Council UK*