The United Kingdom's new prime minister has promised "relentless" efforts to tackle the influx of illegal migrants into his country.
Andy Burnham, who took over as the UK's national leader on July 20, said on Sunday that the arrival of migrants on small boats from the other side of the English Channel is a major concern of his government.
"The public don't like the idea that the border looks like it's not controlled," he said during a visit to Dover in Kent to announce a boost in the number of National Crime Agency officers deployed to tackle smuggling gangs, from 376 at the start of 2025 to almost 800.
"We need to bring back that control, but also we need to offer support for people who genuinely need it."
He made the comments after the latest figures showed more than 2,000 migrants had crossed the English Channel in small boats in the two weeks since he became prime minister.
