Burnham vows relentless crackdown on small-boat migrant crossings

Andy Burnham told a crowd in Dover that his administration will pursue an unyielding strategy to curb small-boat crossings into the United Kingdom. He pointed to a surge in enforcement personnel, with the National Crime Agency now fielding almost 800 officers compared with 376 at the start of 2025, and a comparable rise in French enforcement numbers. Burnham stressed the need to dismantle people-smuggling gangs while simultaneously establishing safe, legal migration routes to reduce the appeal of illegal crossings.

He referenced the recent mass swim into Spain’s Ceuta enclave, noting that 98% of those migrants were returned to Morocco, and called for ongoing dialogue with the EU on Schengen-related issues. Home Office figures also reported nearly 300 arrests of smugglers and the seizure of over 1,100 small boats, which could have facilitated tens of thousands of illegal arrivals. The prime minister emphasized that the public expects visible border control and compassionate support for genuine asylum seekers.