# Burnham: Brexit is to blame for Britain’s small boats crisis

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/burnham-brexit-is-to-blame-for-britains-small-boats-crisis/
- Published: 2026-10-26T11:49:09+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-26T12:51:36+00:00
- Original publisher: The Independent (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/andy-burnham-brexit-small-boats-immigration-b3073395.html
- Topics: Government, Politics, UK, World

## Key points

- Burnham says Brexit weakened Britain’s ability to return migrants.
- More than 200,000 people have crossed by small boat since 2018.
- He supports eventual EU rejoining but rules out immediate freedom of movement changes.

## Summary

Andy Burnham blamed Brexit for the small boats crisis, arguing that leaving the EU weakened Britain’s ability to return people who arrive irregularly. He said immigration had not developed as promised and that people know the UK can no longer return them in the same way as before.

Burnham ruled out changes to freedom of movement during this parliament and said he would not move beyond Labour’s manifesto commitments. He said he would like the UK to rejoin the EU in his lifetime, but would not get ahead of public opinion. More than 200,000 people have crossed the Channel by small boat since records began in 2018; arrivals in the first half of 2026 were 41 per cent lower than a year earlier.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.