The first fortnight of Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s government appears to indicate that his administration, like those before his, will once again be overshadowed by the migrant crisis in the English Channel, with over 2,000 illegals arriving on British shores since he took power just two weeks ago. A further 326 illegal migrants successfully crossed the Channel from the French coastline on Saturday in people-smuggler-coordinated small boats, taking the total number since Burnham was installed in Downing Street by the left-wing Labour Party last month to 2,057.
In comparison, some 1,962 migrants were recorded crossing the Channel illegally during the same time period in 2025, ITV reported. While the modest increase doesn’t show a sudden rapid leap, it would appear to rubbish the insistence by Britain’s governing Labour Party and its new leader Andy Burnham that “the plan is working”. The continuing border control crisis under Burnham saw the busiest day of the year in the Channel on Wednesday, with 752 migrants being brought ashore in 24 hours. Indeed, the new prime minister has backed that the plan enacted by his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer and has noted that crossings are currently down over last year, with around 14,526 having made the journey since the start of the year.
