Our goal is to stop all migrant boats, says Burnham

Prime Minister Andy Burham has said his government will be "relentless" in working towards stopping small boat crossings completely, but he would not set a date on when that could be achieved.

In an interview with BBC South East, just days after two migrant vessels reached the Kent coast unintercepted, he backed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's call for a review into the landings, saying he wanted "urgent answers".

Burnham said there would be "no complacency" in the crackdown on the people smuggling gangs behind the operation.

"We will not stop until we bear down on every element of this criminal activity in a way that gets the numbers right down," he said.

As well as the vessels which came ashore at Samphire Hoe, between Dover and Folkestone, on Tuesday, and near Folkestone on Monday, a total of 781 migrants arrived in 10 small boats on Wednesday.

This is currently the highest number for a single day this year, according to Home Office figures.

However, Burnham said the numbers, in total, had come down.

Speaking to the BBC ahead of the Labour conference on Sunday, he said: "You have to look at the overall trend - crossings were down by a half across the summer and down 50% on a few years ago, so that's major progress on where we were."

So far, 2026 has seen 18,565 people make the Channel crossing, compared to 32,188 during the same period in 2025.

"What it also shows is that the gangs have been disrupted and, as a result, are changing tactics - like using different routes and different vessels - but we'll be relentless in chasing them down," added Burnham.

Describing as unhelpful the UK's "loss of collaboration" with its European neighbours "thanks to Brexit", he said his goal "is to see no crossings at all", but added that he would not give a date as to when that might happen.

"I'm not going to give you a date by which we can do that, or a promise we'll do it, as other governments have done in terms of a particular deadline," Burnham said.

He was also asked about government plans to extend until 2030 the use of a former military training camp in Crowborough, East Sussex, to house hundreds of asylum seekers.

Wealden District Council has claimed the Home Office intends to seek planning permission directly from the secretary of state, bypassing them entirely.

"I always listen to local options, and don't think it's fair to bypass or impose," said Burnham.

"The Home Office will have to make the decision, but it will need to be done through dialogue.

"These are difficult issues and I'm not shying away from that. Things can be done to address local concerns, and I realise the feelings around these issues and am always open to hearing them."

In addition, he didn't want people in the South East to feel alienated by him setting up a No 10 North - the Manchester-based branch of Downing Street designed to shift power from Whitehall and Westminster to regions across the country.

"I don't want them to feel that way, as No 10 North is at the disposal of all councils in the South East, as it is anywhere else in the country," said Burnham.

"The door here is completely open to those people.

"Neither am I insisting on devolution being conditional on an elected mayor," he added.

"I recognise that rural or coastal communities may want a different arrangement, and I'm prepared to come forward with a devolutionary model that better suits them."

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, X, and on Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Kent on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.