Small boats cross English Channel for first time since Burnham took over as PM

WorldPolitics
22 Jul 2026 • 10:39 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Small boats cross English Channel for first time since Burnham took over as PM

  • Migrant crossings across the English Channel to the UK have resumed after an 11-day hiatus, with several boats attempting the journey in warm, calm conditions.
  • This marks the first time crossings have occurred since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister and Shabana Mahmood retained her position as Home Secretary, vowing to curb illegal immigration.
  • Migrants were observed boarding a large vessel near Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, with French authorities distributing life jackets and intervening to prevent some individuals from embarking.
  • Overall Channel arrivals this year total 12,469, representing a 47% decrease compared to the same period last year, though the precise reasons for this decline are not fully understood.
  • The National Crime Agency seized 50 boats and engines at Felixstowe, believed to be destined for people-smuggling gangs, potentially disrupting approximately 2,000 crossing attempts.

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