Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged his government will be “relentless” in tackling small boat crossings, saying a strengthened crackdown on people-smuggling gangs is already delivering results. Burnham said French authorities had also doubled the number of officers involved in tackling the criminal networks behind the crossings. Authorities also seized more than 1,100 boats and engines that they say could have been used to facilitate illegal crossings. Home Office data shows small boat arrivals this year are around 43% lower than during the same period in 2025. The decline has largely been attributed to fewer people arriving from outside the European Union for work and study.