Essex Police arrested six men and two women on Tuesday, after discovering them inside a lorry at a lorry park at junction 26 of the M25, anti-clockwise direction. The individuals were removed from the vehicle. All were assessed by ambulance staff before being taken into custody on suspicion of immigration offences. They remain in custody.
The driver of the lorry was arrested at the time on suspicion of facilitating illegal entry into the UK but has since been released without charge. The arrests came hours after an accident caused major disruption on the London orbital road.
This discovery highlights ongoing efforts to detect and disrupt people smuggling operations, which often involve attempts to enter the UK via heavy goods vehicles following Channel crossings.
The incident comes days after figures published on October 21, 2025, showed that 36,734 people arrived in the UK by small boat this year.
This represents an increase of 8,530 compared to the same period in 2024, though it is 869 fewer than in 2022.
The full-year total for 2024 was approximately 37,000, a 25% rise from 2023.
Projections indicate that 2025 could see up to 85,000 arrivals, roughly equivalent to the cumulative total from 2018 to 2022. The average number of migrants per boat has risen from 49 in 2023 to 53 in 2024.
The UK Government, under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has committed to dismantling smuggling gangs by 2029. This includes a £150 million agreement with France to enhance prevention and returns.
Annual costs for asylum processing and accommodation exceed £3 billion.
The M25 arrests are part of broader enforcement at ports and motorways to address irregular migration routes.