Andy Burnham vows to be ‘relentless’ in dealing with the small boats crisis as thousands cross in first weeks as PM

Andy Burnham has vowed to be “relentless” in dealing with the small boats crisis as 2,000 migrants broke into Britain over the English Channel during his first fortnight in No10.

The Prime Minister insisted “progress is being made” but admitted there was “more to be done” while visiting Dover.

Mr Burnham was in the seaside town to tour Dover's Joint Command Room today to witness the work the National Crime Agency and Border Security Command are doing to protect England’s shores.

While there, the NCA confirmed the number of officers tackling organised immigration crime had doubled over the past year, from 376 to almost 800.

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“The number of crossings is down by 50 per cent this year compared with the same period in 2025 and the month we've just had,” the Prime Minister said.

“July has been the lowest number for six years of people crossing, so clearly progress is being made. But we're not complacent.

“It's why I am here. It's why I've come down on Sunday to see the team, to listen to what they think needs to be done, what further can be done.

“So we're just going to be relentless,” he pledged.

“People want to see this issue addressed. I heard that on the doorsteps in Makerfield.

“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.

“So on every level, we've got to come at this, but crucially, increasing the enforcement activity.

“There's been a doubling of enforcement officers through the National Crime Agency on the UK side of the channel, and French specialist officers are now similarly doubled in number working on the beaches over there.”

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To that end, Mr Burnham said there would be “a big ramping up of activity this summer” in dealing with the crisis.

“It's having results, but we are not complacent. Much more needs to be done.”

On the establishment of further safe routes to the UK for migrants, the Prime Minister said: “We have to deal with the issue rather than play politics with the issue.

“We just need to deal with it head on, grip it, and then make the changes that will bring that reassurance to the public.

“The public doesn't like the idea that the border looks like it's not controlled. We need to bring back that control, but also we need to offer support for people who genuinely need it."

“It is about changing the whole approach,” Mr Burnham explained, adding: “Slowly but surely, we are putting in place those building blocks of a very different approach to this issue."

“It is working, but there's more to be done,” he reiterated.

Figures show 326 asylum seekers arrived in four dinghies on Sunday, bringing the number up to 2,057 since the former Greater Manchester mayor took over from Sir Keir Starmer on July 20. The provisional total of illegal crossings for 2026 so far is 14,526.

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