Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to be "relentless" in tackling small boat crossings, speaking during a visit to Dover's joint command room.
He said progress was being made, with crossings down significantly compared with the same time last year, but insisted he was not "complacent".
Dover visit
Mr Burnham visited the hub where officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA), the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Border Security Command monitor movements across the strait using surveillance drones. He was shown a small boat used by 96 migrants in May this year, a surveillance drone and the operations room.
"Clearly, progress is being made, but we're not complacent, and it's why I am here. 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 said.
"So we're just going to be relentless. People want to see this issue addressed. I heard that on the doorsteps in Makerfield, but 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."
Enforcement push
Since the start of 2025, the number of NCA officers tackling organised immigration crime has more than doubled from 376 to almost 800.
More than 1,000 small boats or engines have been seized since Labour came into power in 2024 and pledged to crack down on the supply of equipment to smuggling gangs.
Home Secretary's remarks
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood visited NCA headquarters in Stratford and said the Government's work to tackle crossings was beginning to "bear fruit", though she acknowledged further reforms were needed.
"It's why I'm pursuing immigration reform to address the pull factors that draw people into boats in the Channel," she said. "I want to change the calculus. I want them to change their mind about whether they get on the boat in the first place."
Crossing numbers
Latest figures show more than 2,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats since Mr Burnham became Prime Minister. A total of 326 migrants arrived on Saturday in four boats, bringing the number 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 yearly total so far having dropped significantly compared with the same point in 2025.
Wednesday marked the busiest day for small boat crossings across the English Channel so far this year, with 752 migrants arriving. The provisional total for the year stands at 14,526 – 43% lower than the 25,436 recorded by this time last year and down 14% on the 16,903 in the same period in 2024.
The Home Office notes that small boat crossings fluctuate because of changes in the weather, with peaks in the warmer summer months.
'Grip' the issue
Mr Burnham said he wanted to "grip" the issue rather than "play politics" with it.
"We have to deal with the issue rather than play politics with the issue. Just deal with it head on, grip it, and then make the changes that will bring that reassurance to the public," he said.
"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. It's about changing the whole approach, and slowly but surely we are putting in place those building blocks of a very different approach to this issue. It's working, but there's more to be done."
