London, August 03 (QNA) - Prime Minister of UK, Andy Burnham said his government would be "relentless" in curbing the number of people arriving in the UK on small boats.

Burnham added that progress had been made and the government was "changing the whole approach", noting that the number of enforcement officers tackling people-smuggling gangs on both sides of the Channel had been doubled.

Speaking during a visit to Dover, Burnham said: "People want to see this issue addressed". He added: "We also need to build a system that offers safe routes for people as well, because that also takes away the selling point of the gangs".

The Conservatives said Labor hadn’t delivered on its promises on migration, while Reform UK said if it came to power it would deploy the Royal Navy to ward off crossings.

The prime minister's remarks came shortly after the Home Office announced that the number of National Crime Agency (NCA) officers tackling smuggling gangs facilitating small boat crossings had risen to almost 800 from 376 at the start of 2025. (QNA)