Burnham pledges to be 'relentless' in curbing small boat crossings
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declared his government will be "relentless" in reducing the number of people arriving in the UK on small boats, as he announced a major crackdown on people-smuggling gangs operating on both sides of the Channel. Speaking in Dover, the Prime Minister insisted that progress was already being made and that his administration was fundamentally "changing the whole approach" to the migration crisis that has dominated British politics for years.A new approach to an old problem
Burnham revealed that the number of National Crime Agency (NCA) officers dedicated to tackling smuggling gangs facilitating small boat crossings had risen to almost 800—more than double the 376 recorded at the start of 2025. He also confirmed that French enforcement officers had been similarly doubled, signalling a coordinated cross-Channel effort to disrupt the criminal networks that profit from human misery.
"People want to see this issue addressed," Burnham told reporters in Dover, the Kent port that has become the symbolic frontline of Britain's border control challenge. "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".
The Home Office added that nearly 300 arrests of smuggling gang members had been made last year, alongside the seizure of more than 1,100 small boats and engines. Officials claimed that had the equipment not been intercepted, it could have facilitated the illegal entry of up to 72,000 additional people into the UK—though the BBC has been unable to independently verify this figure.
"Clearly, progress is being made, but we're not complacent," Burnham commented, striking a note of cautious optimism while acknowledging the scale of the challenge that remains.
The political battlefield
The Prime Minister's remarks come as political discussions around migration policy have intensified following the extraordinary scenes on Thursday, when tens of thousands of migrants swam into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in North Africa. Burnham noted that 98% of those who made the crossing 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 Conservative Party was quick to attack, arguing that Labour had not delivered on its promises on migration. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp repeated calls for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights—a move he claimed would enable the government to "deport every single illegal immigrant within a week of arrival". Under such a policy, migrants would be returned either to their country of origin or to a safe third country such as Rwanda, creating what Philp described as a "deterrent effect".
Reform UK, meanwhile, went further still. Shadow home secretary Zia Yusuf said his party would deploy the navy to force small boats carrying migrants back to France, describing it as "the largest military operation in the English Channel since World War Two". The plan, set to be unveiled at a conference on Monday, has been endorsed by "former senior members of our armed forces".
However, international maritime law presents significant obstacles. While states are permitted to rescue people from boats if they are in danger, they cannot take them to another country without that nation's consent. Yusuf acknowledged that the UK and France might have "a diplomatic argument" if French authorities refused to accept migrants escorted back to their shores—but insisted they had a "commitment under international law" to process them.
Military or maritime?
Retired Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe poured cold water on Reform's proposals, suggesting the plan "lacks quite a lot of substance". "We have the border force already to do this," he told the BBC's Today programme, adding that warships designed for anti-submarine defences "are not best used for ferrying people around". "You're better off using an actual ferry," he said bluntly.
A Labour Party spokesperson dismissed Reform's plans as a "desperate bid" to distract from scrutiny of the party's finances. The Liberal Democrats' immigration spokesman Will Forster urged the government to "redouble its efforts to rebuild our broken relationship with Europe" and "continue to cut down on the asylum backlog".
The numbers tell a story
Since Burnham became Prime Minister a fortnight ago, more than 2,000 migrants have arrived in the UK on small boats—with 326 people making the crossing on Saturday alone. However, Home Office figures show that small boat crossings so far this year are down approximately 43% compared to the same period in 2025.
The number of small boats crossing the Channel has been on a downward trend since peaking in 2022, according to Home Office data. In May, the Office for National Statistics revealed that net migration to the UK fell to 171,000 last year—almost half the figure recorded in 2024 when Labour assumed power, and the lowest level since 2012. The drop has been attributed to fewer people arriving from outside the EU for work and study.
A relentless pursuit
Burnham's pledge to be "relentless" reflects the political gravity of an issue that has become a lightning rod in the wider debate over immigration. The Prime Minister insisted he wanted to "deal with the issue rather than play politics with the issue". "The public don't like the idea that the border looks like it's not controlled," he said. "We need to bring back that control. But also we need to offer support for people who genuinely need it".
As summer conditions improve and more people attempt the potentially perilous crossing, the pressure on Burnham's government will only intensify. Whether his pledge to be "relentless" translates into lasting change—or merely becomes another chapter in Britain's long-running migration saga—remains to be seen. For now, the Prime Minister has drawn a clear line in the sand: the gangs will be pursued, the borders will be controlled, and the system will be reformed. The question is whether his ambition can match the scale of the challenge.
