People Are Upset With Andy Burnham After What He Said — Days Later, Large Groups of Migrants Were Seen Rushing to board small boats heading for the UK

Andy Burnham has been accused of being “out of touch with reality” after large groups of migrants were seen rushing into the sea to board small boats heading for the UK, just hours after the Prime Minister said the Government’s plan to stop Channel crossings was “working.”

On Tuesday, dozens of migrants ran through the water at Hardelot-Plage, south of Boulogne in northern France, to climb onto a dinghy organised by people smugglers. The scene happened in full view of families and holidaymakers enjoying the beach during the summer break.

Later that day, another overcrowded inflatable boat was seen making its way across the English Channel. French officials were filmed throwing life jackets to migrants before the boat left, despite Labour saying that its agreement with the French Government would result in more boats being stopped before they reached the water.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, who spent the day watching activity along the Channel coast, said he had seen the situation for himself. He claimed that more than 1,000 illegal migrants had crossed the Channel in just a few days and argued that the Government’s deal with France was not delivering the results it had promised.

Philp also claimed he watched French authorities fail to stop one migrant boat from leaving and instead hand out life jackets to those on board. He said the only thing currently slowing Channel crossings was poor weather, not Government policy.

He criticised the growing use of what he described as “mega dinghies,” with some boats carrying more than 150 migrants. Philp said Andy Burnham’s comments showed he was disconnected from what was happening on the ground, adding that he had personally witnessed the situation along the French coast.

He also repeated his view that Britain should leave the European Convention on Human Rights, arguing that illegal migrants should be deported within a week of arriving in the UK to discourage dangerous Channel crossings.

Philp’s comments came only hours after the Prime Minister defended the Government’s immigration strategy. Andy Burnham praised Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s approach, saying it was a “very rigorous” plan and insisting that small boat crossings had fallen significantly compared with last year, although he admitted there was still much more work to do.

However, Home Office figures show that 881 migrants arrived in the UK by small boat during Burnham’s first week as Prime Minister. They crossed in 13 different boats, including one record-breaking dinghy carrying 165 people across the Channel.

Since becoming Prime Minister on July 20, Burnham has faced criticism from opponents who say he has not spoken enough about illegal migration. Instead, his early announcements have focused on cutting household energy bills, keeping bus fares low and launching his “No 10 North” office in Manchester, which critics have dismissed as a political publicity move.

Downing Street has said Burnham’s second week in office will focus on tackling some of the country’s biggest challenges, including youth unemployment, social care, defence spending and boosting economic growth.

During a visit to Derby on Tuesday, Burnham was asked why he had not spoken more about the small boats crisis and whether he had a clear plan to deal with illegal Channel crossings.

He defended the Government’s position, saying the Home Secretary had introduced a strong plan and that while daily crossing numbers could rise and fall, the overall trend showed fewer people crossing the Channel than last year. He said this suggested the plan was having an effect.

When asked whether small boat crossings could pose a national security risk, Burnham said all migrants must go through proper checks before being allowed into the country. He stressed that security checks were an important part of the Government’s approach and said he had made it clear that all necessary screening and safeguards must be completed.

He added that the Government wanted to regain control of the entire situation, saying the public expected stronger border control. While he believed progress had been made, he admitted there was still more work ahead. He also said the number of people being removed from the UK had increased and that the figures pointed in a more positive direction overall.

Government data shows that 77,183 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats since Labour won the General Election in July 2024. Home Office figures also show that 13,350 migrants have arrived so far this year. That is around 45% lower than at the same point last year and 16% lower than the equivalent period in 2024.