Andy Burnham Vows to Be ‘Relentless’ on Small Boats After Dover Visit

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Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to tackle small boat crossings across the English Channel with relentless focus after visiting Border Force operations in Dover on Sunday.

Speaking following his tour of the Joint Command Room and related facilities, where he met officials from the Border Security Command, National Crime Agency and Home Office teams, Burnham said the government would confront the issue directly rather than treat it as a political football.“Rather than play politics with the issue, we will just deal with it head on, grip it,” he stated.

He added that he would be “relentless” in addressing the challenge, noting public concern about the appearance of uncontrolled borders.

Burnham, who became Prime Minister on 20 July 2026 after succeeding Keir Starmer, emphasised that progress is already visible but more work remains. “Clearly, progress is being made, but we’re not complacent, and it’s why I am here,” he said. “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.”He highlighted the need for a dual approach: tougher enforcement against smuggling gangs alongside expanded safe routes for genuine asylum seekers. “So we’re just going to be relentless.

People want to see this issue addressed… 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 cover this… crucially increasing the enforcement activity.”Official figures released around the visit show that more than 2,000 people (2,057 as of Saturday) have crossed the Channel in small boats since Burnham took office. That compares with 1,962 in the equivalent period last year. The provisional total for 2026 so far stands at 14,526 — 43% lower than the same point in 2025 and 14% below 2024 levels — though arrivals remain subject to weather patterns and peak in summer months. Wednesday of the past week saw the highest single-day total this year, with 752 arrivals.

The government points to increased resources as evidence of its strategy taking effect. The number of National Crime Agency officers focused on immigration crime has risen to nearly 800. Authorities report seizures of more than 1,100 boats and engines, thousands of arrests of suspected smugglers, and tens of thousands of attempted crossings disrupted through cooperation with French counterparts.

Nearly 70,000 people without legal status have been removed from the UK since the previous election, according to official data, with over £280 million invested in the Border Security Command.Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has described the measures as restoring control at the border while acknowledging further action is required. Burnham echoed that assessment, saying the plan is working but “there’s more to be done.”The visit comes amid ongoing political scrutiny of Channel crossings, a long-running issue that has dominated UK debate for years.

Burnham framed his approach as practical rather than partisan, arguing that restoring public confidence in border management while providing routes for those in genuine need forms the foundation of a different long-term system.

His comments, captured in video circulating widely on social media, mark one of his most direct public statements on the small boats crisis since entering Downing Street just under two weeks ago.