Burnham pledges to be 'relentless' in curbing small boat crossings

Andy Burnham has vowed that his administration will be determined in its efforts to reduce the number of individuals arriving in the UK via small boats. Speaking in Dover, the prime minister emphasized that the government is making headway by “changing the whole approach” toward this issue. One of the key elements of this new strategy involves doubling the number of enforcement officers dedicated to combating people-smuggling operations on both sides of the English Channel.

Burnham highlighted the importance of creating a system that provides safe and legal routes for migrants, stating, “We also need to build a system that offers safe routes for people as well, because that also takes away the selling point of the gangs.” This comes amid renewed political debate over the UK’s approach to illegal migration, particularly following the recent incident where tens of thousands of migrants swam into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta. According to Burnham, around 98% of those who entered Ceuta have been returned to Morocco, which has effectively resolved the immediate situation, although he acknowledged ongoing broader challenges related to the Schengen Area and the UK’s interactions with the EU.

In recent developments, the Home Office reported that the number of National Crime Agency officers working to disrupt smuggling gangs associated with small boat crossings has more than doubled, increasing from 376 officers at the start of 2025 to nearly 800. Burnham also confirmed a similar increase in personnel on the French side. Addressing the tone of the debate surrounding small boats, he expressed a desire to focus on “dealing with the issue rather than play politics with the issue,” adding that the public wants to see stronger border control alongside support for genuine asylum seekers.

The Home Office also revealed that there were close to 300 arrests of smuggling gang members last year, along with the confiscation of over 1,100 small boats and engines. Officials estimate that if the seized equipment had been used, it could have facilitated illegal crossings by an additional 72,000 people, though this claim has not been independently verified. Since Burnham’s recent appointment as prime minister, over 2,000 migrants have arrived in the UK via small boats, with 326 crossing the English Channel most recently on a Saturday. While small boat crossings peak during summer due to favorable weather, latest figures show a 43% decrease in crossings compared with the same period in 2025. These crossings have become the primary mode of illegal entry since 2020 and remain a contentious point in the broader immigration debate. Additionally, data from the Office for National Statistics indicates a significant fall in net migration to the UK last year, down to 171,000—the lowest since 2012—largely due to fewer arrivals from outside the EU for work and study purposes

Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More