UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged that his government will be “relentless” in tackling small boat crossings and disrupting people-smuggling networks, saying the UK is adopting a broader strategy that combines stronger enforcement with safe and legal migration routes.
Speaking during a visit to Dover, Burnham said, “People want to see this issue addressed,” adding that expanding safe routes would “take away the selling point of the gangs”. He highlighted a doubling of National Crime Agency (NCA) officers targeting smuggling networks, alongside a similar increase in French specialist officers operating along the Channel coast.
Burnham said the government was “changing the whole approach” to irregular migration, stressing that ministers must “deal with the issue rather than play politics with the issue”. He added that while enforcement efforts were “having results”, “we are not complacent” and “there’s more to be done”, with the aim of restoring confidence in border security while continuing to support people with genuine protection needs.
A broader debate on European migration has intensified following the recent crisis in Ceuta, Spain’s North African exclave, where tens of thousands of migrants entered the territory from Morocco in a matter of days. Spanish authorities have since returned the vast majority of those who arrived, while the episode has prompted renewed discussions across Europe on border management, cooperation with neighbouring countries and the future of migration policy within the Schengen Area.
ℹ️ The Guardian
Follow on social media TikTok@tut0ughInstagram@tut0ugh Threads@tut0ugh X@tut0ugh YouTube@tut0ugh
