Labour mayor Andy Burnham has attributed the ongoing migrant crossings of the English Channel to a breakdown in cooperation with European neighbours following Brexit, while critics from across the political spectrum have challenged his assessment.

In interviews ahead of the Labour Party conference, Burnham acknowledged the ambitious goal of stopping all small boat crossings but refrained from setting a specific timeline. He emphasized the impact of Brexit on collaboration efforts with other countries, stating that the loss of prior cooperative mechanisms has hindered the ability to manage and reduce illegal crossings. However, he affirmed that Labour’s government will continue to work toward eliminating these crossings entirely and combatting what he described as criminal and illegal activity.

Burnham’s comments come amid a surge in migrant arrivals in 2026, with over 18,500 individuals having crossed the Channel so far this year. This represents a 42% decline compared with the same period in 2025, when more than 32,000 people made the dangerous journey. Nonetheless, migrant arrivals have accelerated since Labour assumed power in the 2024 general election, with more than 83,000 people crossing since then—a figure that surpasses the size of the British army.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has expressed concern over recent undetected landings, including two boats that reached Kent within days, prompting an urgent government review of border security. One boat arriving on Thursday carried 44 migrants, markedly fewer than the 781 who arrived across 10 boats the previous day—the highest daily total recorded this year.

The UK government’s current “one in, one out” migrant agreement with France, which enables the return of some migrants who cross the Channel illegally in exchange for the lawful transfer of asylum seekers to the UK, is due to expire at the end of September. The deal reportedly costs an average of £56,000 per person sent back. Between August 2025 and June 2026, more than 1,000 migrants were returned to France, while a roughly equal number were transferred to Britain. Yet, during the same period, nearly 28,000 migrants successfully crossed into the UK by small boats, with at least one death reported.

Burnham’s assertions have drawn criticism from political opponents. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp dismissed his claims as misleading, arguing that the previous EU Dublin arrangements did not significantly reduce migration and pointed to the continued influx of migrants in other European countries under the Dublin system. Philp advocated for deporting all illegal arrivals and called for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights as a necessary step to strengthen border controls.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also rebuked Burnham’s statements, asserting that pre-Brexit agreements resulted in the UK accepting more migrants than it returned to the continent. Farage maintained that the public voted for Brexit to regain control of borders and accused successive governments, including Labour, of failing to deliver on this mandate.

The government faces mounting pressure to establish a successor to the France agreement, with reports suggesting that Paris could demand the UK accepts migrants from across the broader European Union as part of any new deal. As small boat crossings continue, the efficacy of current policies and the political debate over migration management remain central issues in the UK’s evolving border security strategy.