Arabic version: بيرنهام يتعهد بتحرك لا هوادة فيه بشأن عبور القوارب الصغيرة
According to BBC News, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to be “relentless” in reducing the number of people arriving in the UK by small boat, saying his government is changing its approach to the issue.
Speaking in Dover, Burnham said enforcement officers tackling people-smuggling gangs had doubled on both sides of the Channel. The Home Office said the number of National Crime Agency officers working against gangs facilitating crossings had risen to almost 800, from 376 at the start of 2025.
Burnham said the government also needed to establish safe routes for people, arguing that this would reduce the gangs’ selling point. He said the public wanted the issue addressed and that the government needed to restore control of the border while supporting people who genuinely needed help.
Between 1 January and 29 July 2026, 14,128 people crossed the English Channel from France in small boats, a 42% fall on the same period a year earlier. Nearly all small-boat arrivals claim asylum, allowing them to remain in the country while their applications are considered.
The Home Office said there were nearly 300 arrests of suspected smuggling gang members last year and that more than 1,100 small boats and engines had been seized. It said the equipment could have helped 72,000 more people enter the UK illegally, though the BBC said it had been unable to independently verify that claim.
Opposition parties set out differing responses. Reform UK said it would deploy the Royal Navy to ward off crossings, while the Conservatives said Labour had not fulfilled its migration pledges. The Liberal Democrats called for closer relations with Europe and further action to reduce the asylum backlog.
