Andy Burnham has pledged his government will be “relentless” in curbing the number of people arriving in the UK on small boats.
The prime minister said progress had been made and the government was “changing the whole approach”, with enforcement officers tackling people-smuggling gangs doubled on both sides of the Channel.
“People want to see this issue addressed,” he said in Dover, adding: “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.”
The Conservatives said that Labour had not delivered on its promises on migration, while Reform UK said it would deploy the Royal Navy to ward off small boat crossing.
Political discussions around the UK’s policies on illegal migration have resurfaced since tens of thousands of migrants swam into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta on Thursday.
Burnham noted that 98% of the people who swam to the African territory had been returned to Morocco – which he said had dealt with the immediate issue.
But he added: “There’s a broader issue about the Schengen area and our relationship with it, and of course, I would want to be in regular dialogue with the EU on those issues.”
His comments came shortly after the Home Office announced that the number of National Crime Agency (NCA) officers tackling smuggling gangs facilitating small boat crossings had risen to almost 800 from 376 at the start of 2025.
Burnham said there had been a similar doubling of French officers.
Asked whether he wanted to change the tone of the debate around small boats, he said that he wanted to “deal with the issue rather than play politics with the issue”.
He added: “The public don’t like the idea that the border looks like it’s not controlled. We need to bring back that control. But also we need to offer support for people who genuinely need it.”
