Burnham Said French Officers Had Seen a Similar Doubling

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged his government will be "relentless" in curbing the number of people arriving in the UK on small boats, saying enforcement is being ramped up but that more safe routes are also needed. Speaking in Dover, Burnham said progress had been made and the government was "changing the whole approach, with the number of enforcement officers tackling people-smuggling gangs doubled on both sides of the Channel. "People want to see this issue addressed, he said, adding: "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.

His comments came as political debate over illegal migration reignited after tens of thousands of migrants swam into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta on Thursday. Burnham noted that 98% of those who swam to the African territory had been returned to Morocco, which he said had dealt with the immediate issue. But he added: "There's a broader issue about the Schengen area and our relationship with it, and of course, I would want to be in regular dialogue with the EU on those issues.

The remarks followed a Home Office announcement that the number of National Crime Agency (NCA) officers tackling smuggling gangs facilitating small boat crossings had risen to almost 800, up from 376 at the start of 2025. Burnham said French officers had seen a similar doubling. Asked whether he wanted to change the tone of the debate, he said he wanted to "deal with the issue rather than play politics with the issue, adding: "The public don't like the idea that the border looks like it's not controlled. We need to bring back that control.

But also we need to offer support for people who genuinely need it. Between 1 January and 29 July 2026, 14,128 people crossed the English Channel by small boat from France, down 42% on the same period the previous year. Crossings have been the most common way for people to be detected entering the UK illegally since 2020, and nearly all who arrive by small boat claim asylum, allowing them to stay while their application is considered.

Small boat arrivals made up 42% of asylum applications between April 2025 and March 2026. Boats arriving from 30 July 2025 to 29 July 2026 carried an average of 67 people, more than double the 2021 figure, with experts warning overcrowding makes crossings riskier. At least 84 people died attempting the crossing in 2024, according to the UN. Small boat arrivals represent about 5% of total immigration into the UK from January to December 2025. The government has pledged to "smash the gangs" behind the crossings.

People from Eritrea accounted for 18% of all arrivals from April 2025 to March 2026. In the latest figures covering January to December 2025, at least 2,000 people who arrived by small boat were found to be potential victims of human trafficking or modern slavery, according to the Home Office. Another 4,535 people were detected entering the UK without permission via other methods, including hiding in vehicles, travelling on ferries or through airports, from April 2025 to March 2026, down 22% on the previous year. The total number of people living in the UK illegally after arriving legally is not known.

The Home Office also said on Sunday there had been nearly 300 arrests of smuggling gang members last year, along with the seizure of more than 1,100 small boats and engines, which it said could have helped 72,000 more people come illegally to the UK. The BBC has been unable to independently verify this claim. "Clearly, progress is being made, but we're not complacent, Burnham said.

The number of migrants arriving on small boats since Burnham became PM a fortnight ago surpassed 2,000 after 326 people crossed the Channel on Saturday. More people attempt the perilous crossing in summer when conditions are better, and Home Office figures show crossings so far this year are down around 43% compared to the same period in 2025. Small boat crossings have been on a downward trend since peaking in 2022. In May, the ONS revealed net migration to the UK fell to 171,000 last year, almost half the 2024 figure and the lowest since 2012, driven by fewer arrivals from outside the EU for work and study."