Key facts
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged to be "relentless" in tackling small boat crossings.
- Enforcement officers tackling people-smuggling gangs have doubled on both sides of the Channel.
- Nearly 300 smuggling gang members were arrested last year, with over 1,100 boats and engines seized.
- Over 2,000 migrants have arrived on small boats since Burnham took office two weeks ago.
- Small boat crossings are down approximately 43% year-to-date compared to the same period in 2025.
- Tens of thousands of migrants entered Ceuta, a Spanish territory, with approximately 98% returned to Morocco.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged a "relentless" approach to curbing the number of people arriving in the UK via small boats, emphasizing increased enforcement and the need for safe routes. Speaking in Dover, Burnham stated that progress is being made, with enforcement officers targeting people-smuggling gangs doubled on both sides of the Channel. He highlighted the public's desire for controlled borders but also the need to support those genuinely in need. The Home Office reported nearly 300 arrests of smuggling gang members last year and the seizure of over 1,100 boats and engines, which they claimed could have facilitated passage for 72,000 more individuals illegally.
Burnham noted that the number of migrants arriving on small boats since he assumed office two weeks prior had surpassed 2,000, with 326 crossing on Saturday. Despite this, Home Office figures indicate a roughly 43% decrease in small boat crossings this year compared to the same period in 2025. He also mentioned the broader issue of the Schengen area and the desire for regular dialogue with the EU on related matters.
The Prime Minister's comments follow a crisis in Ceuta, a Spanish territory, where tens of thousands of migrants entered, with approximately 98% subsequently returned to Morocco. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the influx as a "violation of Spain’s territorial integrity." EU ministers have convened emergency talks to address the uncontrolled crossings, with 22 EU countries demanding an emergency response. Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, stated that proposed immigration reforms were necessary to address pull factors drawing people to cross the Channel, but rejected copying Spain's response to Ceuta due to the differences in geography and agreements.