Small boats crossing the English Channel have become one of Britain's most controversial issues.

Why are people making the journey? Why has Britain struggled to stop the crossings? What happens when people arrive, and what can the British government realistically do?

Small Boats, Big Questions? looks beyond the headlines to examine the Channel crossings, the asylum system, deportations, legal challenges, the role of France and the practical difficulties facing successive British governments.

This book doesn't tell you what to think. It explains what is happening, why it is so difficult to resolve, and why there are no simple answers to a problem that has divided Britain.