Burnham pledges to be 'relentless' in curbing small boat crossings
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged a 'relentless' approach to curbing small boat crossings in the English Channel. The government is increasing enforcement resources and collaborating with French authorities to address the issue while seeking safe migration routes.
Why it matters
Migration policy is a central and contentious issue in UK politics, impacting international relations and domestic security.
Image source, Pool By Vicky Wong Published 12 minutes ago 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."
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.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in