People Are Furious After Record Number of Illegal Migrants Cross the Channel in a Single Day as Andy Burnham Faces Growing Pressure Over the Crisis

Illegal immigration has become one of the biggest political issues in the UK. Many people are especially worried if there is a hotel housing asylum seekers or a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) being opened in their local area.

Critics say Prime Minister Andy Burnham has largely avoided talking about the issue since taking office. Instead, they argue he has spent time discussing lighter topics on social media, such as food and regional slang, rather than addressing immigration.

Pressure on the Government increased after 752 people crossed the English Channel in nine small boats on a single Wednesday. It was the highest number of arrivals recorded in one day this year, breaking the previous record of 710 set just a month earlier.

Critics believe this will make it much harder for Burnham to avoid the issue, especially after the recent migration crisis in the Spanish territory of Ceuta, where around 60,000 people crossed into the enclave.

Several European countries have also begun taking a tougher approach to immigration. Italy quickly introduced border checks for travellers arriving from Spain by air and sea, temporarily limiting parts of the Schengen free movement system. At the same time, 22 Schengen member countries signed an open letter asking Brussels to hold an urgent meeting to deal with what they described as an immigration emergency.

Germany has also been pushing for stronger immigration controls following several recent attacks, including one at Berlin’s Pride Festival last month. Together with Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands, Germany is exploring plans to process some asylum seekers outside Europe. Italy has already agreed on a similar arrangement with Albania.

Supporters of tougher immigration policies point out that the UK previously planned a similar offshore processing scheme with Rwanda under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Government. However, Labour cancelled that policy shortly after taking office.

Political parties on the right, including the Conservatives, Reform and Restore, have proposed major legal changes to reduce illegal immigration. These include leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, repealing the Human Rights Act introduced under Tony Blair, and changing international refugee rules. Labour, both under former Prime Minister Keir Starmer and now under Andy Burnham, has rejected those proposals, arguing for a different approach.

Critics also claim that although Starmer and former Attorney General Lord Hermer are no longer in government, the Labour Party still supports policies they believe are less strict on immigration. They argue Burnham has little interest in introducing stronger detention and deportation measures for people who arrive in the UK illegally.

There has also been debate over Labour’s wider immigration plans. Critics say Burnham is considering softening proposals that would require migrants to live in the UK for 10 years before qualifying for Indefinite Leave to Remain. Some Labour MPs also continue to support a youth mobility scheme with Europe, creating more legal routes into the UK, and speeding up the processing of asylum applications to reduce the current backlog.

Opponents argue that many voters want the Government to focus on reducing illegal immigration and strengthening border security. They believe the issue will remain one of the biggest political challenges facing Andy Burnham as public concern continues to grow.