Prime Minister Andy Burnham is facing increased pressure to address the ongoing issue of small-boat migrant arrivals after more than 500 individuals reached the UK in his first week in office. Sources reported that one vessel, described as a "mega dinghy" measuring approximately 12 meters in length, carried 165 migrants. In total, six vessels crossed the Channel within that week, leading some critics to label them "Burnham's boats."
More migrant sightings were reported, suggesting the weekly total could approach 600. The release of this data by the Home Office coincided with Burnham's unveiling of his "No10 North" initiative in Manchester, approximately 300 miles away. Critics have stated that Burnham has not yet outlined his strategy for border security, despite immigration frequently topping voter polls. His public statements in the first week have focused on policy proposals such as lowering utility and bus fares, and he described the launch of "No10 North" as the "the best day of my life."
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, criticized Burnham's approach, stating that the Prime Minister "will do nothing to stop the illegal and dangerous invasion of our country, he won’t even mention it." Farage asserted that only Reform UK has a plan to halt the crossings.
Conservative Party figures also voiced concerns. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, noted that under previous administrations, "more illegal immigrants crossed the Channel under Keir Starmer than under any other prime minister." He added, "And now we’ve had a terrible start with Burnham’s boats and the largest ever migrant dinghy crossing yesterday with 165 illegal immigrants on it. Only the Conservative Party have a plan to end Channel crossings by leaving the ECHR [European Convention on Human Rights] and deporting all illegal immigrants within a week of arrival."
Lord Glasman, founder of the Blue Labour group, urged Burnham to adopt a more assertive policy, suggesting, "What's happening here is absolutely outrageous. I’ve been in favour for a long time of putting the Royal Navy in the Channel and literally stopping the boats... we’ve got to have a much more aggressive policy towards the French government."
Figures indicate that small-boat migrants constituted only 7 percent of deportations in the preceding year, suggesting that a majority do not face removal from the country.
Recent crossing statistics show that 172 migrants arrived on Wednesday across three boats, followed by 366 on Thursday. On Thursday, this averaged 122 individuals per vessel. However, Home Office sources indicated that one boat carried 165 migrants, surpassing the previous record of 128.
Since the Labour Party's election victory in July 2024, over 77,000 migrants have arrived in the UK via the Channel. The total number of Channel crossings since records began in 2018 exceeds 200,000.
While the number of arrivals in the current year, exceeding 13,000, is more than 40 percent lower than the previous year, experts caution that crossings could increase. The period between July 10 and Wednesday saw the first recorded crossings, a delay attributed by experts to unfavorable weather conditions and rougher seas.
A Home Office spokesperson stated, "Removals of small-boat migrants are at record levels and asylum claims down by 12 per cent."