Andy Burnham said the Government’s plan to curb Channel crossings is working.
Andy Burnham became Prime Minister on July 20 (Image: Getty)
More than 2,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister. The latest figures show 326 migrants arrived on Saturday in four boats, bringing the number up to 2,057 since he took over from Sir Keir Starmer on July 20. There were 1,962 crossings in the same period last year.
However, the total for the year so far has dropped compared with this time in 2025. Mr Burnham has said the Government’s plan to curb Channel crossings is working as numbers are down year on year, but he has admitted there is more to do.
He said on Friday that measures brought in by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood have “started to make a difference”.
Mr Burnham added: “Although this is the peak period of the year for crossings, overall the number of crossings is down, the number of removals of people is up.
“So, there is progress, but we both recognise that we need to do more.”
Wednesday marked the busiest day for small boat crossings across the English Channel so far this year, with 752 migrants arriving in the UK.
(file picture) Wednesday marked the busiest day for small boat crossings across the English Channel (Image: Getty)
The provisional total for the year so far is 14,526. This is 43% lower than the number recorded by this time last year (25,436) and down 14% on the same period in 2024 (16,903).
The Home Office notes that small boat crossings fluctuate because of changes in the weather, with peaks in the warmer summer months.
Net migration surged to a record high of 944,000 in the year ending March 2023. It hit 764,000 in 2022, before dropping to 649,000 in June 2024.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “This Government is bearing down on small boat crossings, with removals of small boat migrants at record levels and asylum claims down by 12%.
“The Home Secretary has signed a landmark new payment by results deal with France to boost enforcement action on beaches and put people smugglers behind bars.
“This builds on joint work that has stopped over 46,000 attempted crossings since the election.
“We have removed or deported almost 70,000 people who were here illegally, an increase of 41%, and are going further to remove the incentives that draw illegal migrants to this country.”