Channel Crossings Continue Through the Weekend
Small-boat crossings of the Channel continued over the weekend, days after a record 165 migrants arrived in a single vessel, keeping migration at the top of the new government’s in-tray. The crossings, the first sustained arrivals since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister, underline the scale of a challenge he has promised to tackle. Ministers face mounting pressure to show results.
The record “mega dinghy” that reached Dover last week — carrying nearly three times the number typical a year ago — pointed to the smuggling gangs’ growing use of larger boats to defeat enforcement. Small-boat arrivals remain among the most politically charged issues in Britain, with Reform UK pressing the government hard on the numbers. Mr Burnham has promised to crack down on the gangs while maintaining safe and legal routes, but the crossings have gone on. Downing Street knows the issue could define its standing. Watch the weekly totals and the government’s enforcement plans.