More than 10,000 small boat migrants have crossed the English Channel since Andy Burnham took office as Prime Minister, with nearly 100 people arriving daily on average. Home Office figures indicate 1,670 individuals made the journey between Thursday and Sunday, ending a three-week pause in crossings.
The latest arrivals included 263 migrants on Thursday, 671 on Friday, 259 on Saturday, and 477 in seven boats on Sunday. The Prime Minister's total now stands at 10,136, an average of 96.5 per day. This average is higher than recorded averages under previous Prime Ministers Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson, and Theresa May, and only slightly lower than under Sir Keir Starmer's premiership, which saw an average of 103.5 arrivals per day.
These figures emerge as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood prepares to introduce new immigration rules, which have reportedly been significantly revised following internal party discussions. Originally, proposals aimed to extend the waiting period for low-skilled foreign migrants to gain 'settled' status, with potential increases of up to 10 years for care workers and longer periods for those relying on benefits or who entered the UK illegally.
Opposition figures have criticized the government's approach. Chris Philp MP, Shadow Home Secretary, stated that "Open-borders Burnham has done nothing to tackle illegal immigration, and his watering down of settlement reforms will only make the problem worse by keeping the incentives to come here illegally firmly in place." He added, "Only the Conservatives have the backbone to deliver a borders plan including leaving the ECHR and deporting all illegal immigrants."
Prime Minister Burnham has previously attributed some of the challenge to Brexit, citing a "loss of collaboration with neighbours" that has impacted the ability to manage crossings. However, his party has stated that the overall number of people arriving in the UK this year is down compared to the same point in the previous year. Following their election, the Labour government abandoned the Conservative's Rwanda asylum plan, opting instead for enhanced law enforcement efforts.
A Home Office spokesperson commented on the situation, stating, "We have made progress tackling the small boats. Crossings are down significantly, and we have just recorded the lowest number of summer arrivals since 2020." The spokesperson added that "joint efforts preventing over 48,000 crossing attempts and seizing 1,100 boats and engines since the election" have been undertaken, and that the government plans to "boost the number of officers on the ground in France and removing the pull factors drawing people here through illegal and dangerous routes."