Burnham Vows His Government Will Be 'Relentless' In Tackling Small Boats Crisis

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said his government will be “relentless” in reducing the number of people arriving in the UK on small boats, speaking from Dover after border-crossing chaos in Ceuta raised concerns. Burnham said English Channel crossings are down 50% this year compared with the same period in 2025, and that July delivered the lowest monthly figure in six years. He said the government is “changing the whole approach” by placing enforcement officers on both sides of the Channel to disrupt people-smuggling gangs. He cited a doubling of UK National Crime Agency officers tackling smuggling to nearly 800 from 376 at the start of 2025, with French officers similarly doubled working on beaches. Burnham also said Labour wants more safe routes for asylum seekers and noted that 98% of people who swam into Ceuta last week have been returned to Morocco.