Donald Trump has warned Andy Burnham he will have to confront Britain's migration crisis, claiming illegal immigration is 'killing' the country. The US President made the remarks during an interview with GB News on Wednesday when he was asked whether the new Prime Minister had avoided discussing immigration during his first weeks in office.
Trump's Warning
'He's going to have to mention it because it's killing your country,' Mr Trump told The People's Channel. 'I know Starmer did very little about it, and they're coming from all over the world. They're coming from Africa. They're coming from South America. They're coming from different parts of Asia. They're invading Europe,' he warned, before adding: 'It's an invasion, and the UK is a prime suspect.'
Migrant Crossings Surge
Trump's comments came just hours after more than 500 illegal migrants crossed the English Channel. The Express revealed the latest arrivals reached British waters after people smugglers launched 11 migrant boats from a vast stretch of coastline, with departures from beaches stretching from Belgium to the French port of Dieppe, around 130 miles further south.
Although Burnham has so far largely steered clear of directly addressing the migrant crisis, Downing Street was pressed on the issue earlier this week when his spokesman was asked whether the Prime Minister wanted asylum hotels to be closed. 'The work on that continues,' No10 said, adding there was 'no change in that work that's being carried out by the Home Secretary in her department'.
Home Office Figures
Home Office figures published during Burnham's first week in office showed 172 people crossed the Channel on the Wednesday, followed by another 366 on Thursday in just three boats. A further 103 migrants arrived on Friday.
On Burnham's first day in Downing Street, Trump acknowledged the challenge facing the new Prime Minister. A phone call between the two leaders was 'interesting, and went very well', the President said. 'I wished Prime Minister Burnham, GOOD LUCK AND GODSPEED!'
US-UK Relations
Last month, Trump also told reporters he did not 'know anything' about the Makerfield MP other than that 'he was, I guess, the mayor of a town'. The pair have enjoyed a relatively stable few weeks, although North Sea oil has already emerged as a potential flashpoint. The day before Burnham succeeded Sir Keir Starmer, Trump urged him to open up the North Sea to drilling in a bid to 'make the United Kingdom, from a poverty stricken disaster, to one of the richest countries anywhere in the world'.
Meanwhile, US sources claimed Burnham's appointment of North Sea drilling opponent Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary had caused 'genuine anger' in Washington DC because of his previous remarks describing the President as 'a racist, misogynistic, self-confessed groper'. At the same time, The Telegraph revealed that efforts are under way behind the scenes to strengthen relations between London and Washington. Dame Karen Pierce, who served as Britain's ambassador in Washington from 2020 to 2025, is the frontrunner to become the Foreign Office's most senior civil servant. She is widely admired within the Trump administration, with reports claiming the President urged Sir Keir Starmer to keep her in post rather than replace her with Lord Mandelson.
With the conflict involving Iran flaring up once again, one of Burnham's first decisions as Prime Minister was to continue his predecessor's policy of allowing American forces to use British military bases for 'defensive' strikes. According to the report, withdrawing UK support would have risked the ire of the White House. So far, however, Burnham's decision has largely only provoked uproar from left-wing groups in Britain - and Iranian military chiefs.
