Almost 1,000 illegal migrants cross Channel in Andy Burnham's first week as PM as hundreds more arrive today

Almost 1,000 illegal migrants have crossed the English Channel in Andy Burnham’s first week in Downing Street, as hundreds more arrived today.

This week marks a major shift in tactics, as criminal gangs cram fewer boats with larger numbers of migrants.

It comes as migrant charities accuse French police of adopting dangerous new tactics which are “putting migrant lives at risk”.

The charity Utopia 56 has published a video which appears to show a French police helicopter allegedly buzzing migrants on a beach near Boulogne this week.

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Other officers are seen chasing migrants along the beach causing “chaos”, according to the charity.

Criminal gangs have adopted a significant shift in tactics to try to avoid enhanced police patrols around Dunkirk and Calais - now launching fewer boats much further south along the French coast.

UK authorities said people smugglers were also now cramming more migrants on fewer boats.

On Thursday, 165 were sent across the Channel on one “mega dinghy”, smashing the record for the most migrants crammed into a single dinghy.

The number breaks the previous record from July, when 128 crossed to the UK from France in one vessel.

Another refugee charity, Care4Calais said the crossing route was becoming “more and more dangerous” because of the increasing number of people per boat.

Sydney Sopher, chief operations officer, said: “The UK and French governments have spent years focusing on border security and enforcement, yet all they’ve achieved is to make Channel crossings more and more dangerous.

“Just days ago a body was found on the beach in Berck, the latest victim of the hostile environment against refugees carried out by both nations. These are preventable tragedies.

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"The data shows that the average number of people crossing on single boats has been increasing year on year, but it could all be stopped overnight by opening safe routes.

“That the Government continues to ignore the unequivocal evidence that safe routes work, is a political choice that prioritises the demonisation of refugees over compassion.”

Home Office figures show 366 people arrived on Thursday, after crossing in just three boats.

A Home Office spokesman said: “Smuggling gangs are taking greater risks than ever with the number of people they are cramming into unseaworthy boats rising year on year.

“This crossing serves as a stark reminder that criminal gangs have no regard for the safety of those they claim to help - the reality is clear and lives are being lost in the Channel as a result.

“This is exactly why we have signed a new deal with the French to prevent these perilous journeys by boosting enforcement action on beaches, building on the over 45,000 attempted crossings stopped since the election.”

At least 200 illegal migrants have crossed the Channel again today, the fourth day of crossings, after windy weather had prevented dinghy launches for almost a fortnight.

It takes the number who have crossed in Andy Burnham’s first week in office to almost 900.

The number who have made the illegal journey so far this year is now more than 13,500.

New polling has revealed more than three in five Britons believe Andy Burnham cannot put a stop to the small boats.

In his first days in the role, the new Prime Minister is already facing pressure to tackle the scaling issue of mass illegal migration.

Latest polling from Merlin Strategy from July 22 to July 24 has proved that a measly 18 per cent back Mr Burnham's bid to stop the boats.

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