More than 10,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister, with nearly 100 arriving daily on average. Home Office figures indicate 1,670 people made the journey between Thursday and Sunday, ending a three-week lull.
The arrivals included 263 on Thursday, 671 on Friday, 259 on Saturday, and 477 on Sunday, bringing the total under Burnham's premiership to 10,136. This daily average of 96.5 is higher than recorded averages under previous Prime Ministers Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson, and Theresa May, though slightly lower than Sir Keir Starmer's tenure, which saw an average of 103.5 arrivals per day.
These figures emerge as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood prepares to introduce new immigration rules. Proposals to extend the waiting period for settled status for low-skilled migrants have reportedly been significantly softened following internal opposition within the Labour Party. Chris Philp MP, Shadow Home Secretary, criticized the government's approach, stating that Burnham's policies have failed to curb illegal immigration and that watered-down reforms will maintain incentives for illegal crossings.
Burnham has previously attributed difficulties in stopping crossings to the impact of Brexit, citing a loss of collaboration with neighboring countries. He also noted that while overall numbers are down this year compared to 2025, the goal remains to prevent all crossings.
Following the Labour government's decision to scrap the Conservative's Rwanda asylum plan, efforts to address the small boats crisis have focused on enhanced police and law enforcement operations. The planned reforms by Ms. Mahmood were initially intended to increase the baseline qualification period for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) to ten years, with longer waits for those on benefits or who entered illegally. However, concessions are expected, particularly for public sector workers like doctors and nurses, who were slated for a shorter five-year qualification period.
A Home Office spokesperson stated that progress has been made, with crossings down significantly and the lowest number of summer arrivals since 2020 recorded. The department highlighted efforts to prevent crossings, seize boats, and increase on-the-ground resources in France, alongside initiatives to remove 'pull factors' that encourage illegal routes.