Prime Minister Andy Burnham travelled to Dover on Sunday to highlight the increased number of officers deployed to tackle smuggling gangs, with National Crime Agency (NCA) officers tackling organised immigration crime having more than doubled from 376 to almost 800 since the start of 2025.
At Dover's joint command room, the hub for monitoring small boat crossings, officers from the NCA, Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Border Security Command track movements across the strait using surveillance drones.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood separately visited NCA headquarters in Stratford. More than 1,000 small boats or engines have been seized since Labour came into power in 2024, after pledging to crack down on the supply of equipment to smuggling gangs taking migrants across the Channel.
Ms Mahmood said: "There is more to be done, but this Government is restoring control at our border."
Crossings since Burnham became PM
More than 2,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats since Mr Burnham became Prime Minister. Home Office numbers show 326 migrants arrived on Saturday in four boats, bringing the total to 2,057 since he took over from Sir Keir Starmer on July 20.
There were 1,962 crossings in the same period last year, with the total for the year so far having dropped significantly compared with this time in 2025.
Mr Burnham has said the Government's plan to curb Channel crossings is working as numbers are down year on year, but he has admitted there is more to do. He said on Friday that measures brought in by Ms Mahmood have "started to make a difference".
He added: "Although this is the peak period of the year for crossings, overall the number of crossings is down, the number of removals of people is up. So, there is progress, but we both recognise that we need to do more."
Year-to-date totals
Wednesday marked the busiest day for small boat crossings across the English Channel so far this year, with 752 migrants arriving in the UK. The provisional total for the year so far is 14,526.
This is 43% lower than the number recorded by this time last year (25,436) and down 14% on the same period in 2024 (16,903).
The Home Office notes that small boat crossings fluctuate because of changes in the weather, with peaks in the warmer summer months.
