New figures show that migrants who arrived in the UK via small boats made up fewer than one in ten of all deportations carried out last year, undermining claims that tackling Channel crossings is the key lever for reducing removals. The data adds to pressure on Andy Burnham, who has yet to set out clear immigration policies since becoming Prime Minister, with critics arguing the figures expose a gap between the government's rhetoric on stopping the boats and the practical reality of who is actually being removed from the country.

The bulk of deportations last year involved foreign nationals who entered the UK through other routes, such as visa overstayers and failed asylum seekers who arrived by aircraft or other means, rather than those crossing in small boats. Burnham's silence on his own immigration strategy has drawn criticism from opponents and some in his own party, who say the small-boats-focused political debate does not reflect where enforcement resources are actually being directed.