As migrants have flocked from Morocco to the North African Spanish enclave of Ceuta, sparking a debate over responsibility within Europe, U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would respond forcefully to the issue of illegal migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats.
According to Bloomberg on the 2nd (local time), Burnham visited the port of Dover in southeast England that day and said, "People do not want a situation where it looks like the border is not under control," adding, "We will persist until we regain control of the border."
He added, however, "Those who truly need help must be supported," and "We also need to create safe and legal routes for them to come to the U.K." This is read as an explanation that having legal routes could reduce reliance on smuggling networks.
Bloomberg said a provisional tally shows 14,526 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats so far this year. That is down 43% from the same period last year and 14% from the same period in 2024.
However, about 2,000 people have crossed the Channel just since Burnham took office on the 20th of last month.
In response, the U.K. government increased the number of National Crime Agency (NCA) officers in charge of cracking down on smuggling networks to about 800 from 376 in early 2025. It more than doubled the investigative workforce over the past 18 months.
The NCA took part in about 300 arrest operations last year. After the 2024 general election, it seized more than 1,109 small boats and engines that were to be delivered to smuggling networks. The U.K. Home Office estimated the equipment could have been used to carry about 72,000 migrants.
U.K. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government is "taking every measure necessary to protect the border" and noted that its response has begun to show results. Since the Labor Party took power in 2024, the number of people deported from the U.K. has exceeded 70,000, up 41% from before.
Illegal migration is one of the core issues in U.K. politics. Reform UK, a far-right party led by Nigel Farage, has labeled smuggling using small boats an "invasion" and has pushed for a hard-line response. Buoyed by this, Reform UK has recently topped various opinion polls.
Reform UK said that if it takes power, it will launch the largest military operation in the English Channel since World War II. Under the name "Operation Fortress," it plans to deploy the Royal Navy to block small boats and return the migrants on board to France or Belgium.
The Conservative Party, the U.K.'s second-largest party, criticized the plan as unrealistic. It said warships have high hulls, making it difficult to transfer people from small rubber boats, and that France or Belgium could refuse entry to U.K. warships. It also pointed out the plan could violate international law.
Bloomberg reported the U.K. government's tougher measures against illegal migration are also related to the recent resurgence of migration issues across Europe.
On the 17th, as many as 60,000 Moroccan migrants crossed into the North African Spanish enclave of Ceuta, prompting some European Union (EU) countries to warn they could restart border checks. The Italian government decided to suspend application of the Schengen Agreement guaranteeing free movement only with respect to Spain for one month. Spain is also tightening border controls, including installing a 500-meter floating barrier at sea off Ceuta.