Fury as almost 900 migrants cross Channel in supersize dinghies in Burnham’s first week at No10

ALMOST 900 Channel migrants arrived in Andy Burnham’s first week at No10. People are piling on to new super-sized dinghies dubbed Burnham Boats. Nearly 900 Channel migrants arrived in Andy Burnham’s first week at No10 (stock image) Credit: LNP Desperate migrants are piling on to new super-sized dinghies dubbed Burnham Boats (stock image) Credit: LNP Home Office figures show 881 people arrived in Dover since crossings resumed on Wednesday — including 165 on a 42ft-long mega-dinghy. It beat the record of 128 for the most migrants getting here from France on one vessel. Sign up for the Politics newsletter Thank you! Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “Andy Burnham hasn’t even mentioned small boat crossings in his first week in office. He clearly has no plan to fix this issue.” In Sir Keir Starmer’s first seven days as PM in July 2024, there were 546 arrivals. It was 35 in the first week Boris Johnson was in No10 in July 2019. So far in 2026, 13,350 migrants have arrived across the Channel — a 44 per cent decrease year-on-year. The Home Office said: “This Government is bearing down on small boat crossings, with removals of small boat migrants at record levels and asylum claims down by 12 per cent. “We have removed or deported almost 70,000 people who were here illegally — an increase of 41 per cent.” Most read in The Sun In Sir Keir Starmer’s first seven days as PM in July 2024, there were 546 arrivals, pictured new PM Burnham Credit: Reuters ‘Andy Burnham hasn’t even mentioned small boat crossings in his first week in office. He clearly has no plan to fix this issue’, blasts Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp Credit: PA It added that over 44,000 attempted crossings have been stopped since the election. Sudanese national Chan Mathok Atak, 19, will appear at Margate magistrates’ court today accused of piloting the 165-person mega-dinghy that arrived in Britain last week.