Andy Burnham blasted over ‘unacceptable’ small boats handling
Tom Tugendhat attacked Prime Minister Andy Burnham over Channel migration, citing over 500 daily crossings and criticizing Labour's scrapping of the Rwanda deportation scheme as a national security failure.
According to Georgia Pearce writing in GB News, Tom Tugendhat issued a stark warning about the escalating crisis as figures show more than 500 illegal migrants crossed the Channel in a single day yesterday. The total number of illegal arrivals since Burnham assumed office has now surged past 1,600, with the year-to-date total exceeding 14,000 crossings from France.
Tugendhat pulled no punches in his criticism during an interview with the broadcaster, arguing that illegal migration numbers had risen sharply following Labour’s assumption of power in 2024. The Conservative parliamentarian pointed to the previous government’s Rwanda deportation scheme as evidence of what works, noting that crossings had been falling when the programme was operational.
This is absolutely unacceptable. It is absolutely a national security priority, Tugendhat declared, emphasising the gravity of the situation facing Britain.
Rwanda Scheme Created Deterrent Effect
The Tory MP highlighted how the Rwanda policy had proven effective in deterring illegal crossings, creating such a strong deterrent that migrants began crossing from Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland instead. This flow became so pronounced that the Irish interior minister publicly complained about the scheme’s impact on Ireland.
However, when Labour scrapped the Rwanda programme upon taking office, the numbers immediately rebounded, Tugendhat noted. He characterised this reversal as a predictable consequence of removing the deterrent mechanism that had been working to reduce illegal Channel crossings.
National Security Threat
Tugendhat escalated his criticism by framing the crisis in national security terms, warning that hostile state actors are exploiting the porous border. He cited recent reports indicating that countries such as Iran are attempting to infiltrate operatives into Britain through these irregular migration routes.
The Conservative MP described the situation as presenting a genuine danger to British security that cannot be tolerated. His comments reflect growing frustration within opposition ranks over the Burnham government’s approach to border control and illegal migration.
The criticism comes as the government faces mounting pressure to demonstrate it can control Britain’s borders and prevent the ongoing surge in illegal Channel crossings that has characterised the opening period of Burnham’s premiership.
With information from GB News
