PRIME Minister Andy Burnham has blamed soaring small boat arrivals on Brexit, arguing it left the UK with “weaker control”.
He said that crossings had continued to rise after realised they could not be forced to return as before.
He said on Monday: “The reason the crisis has arisen is because we can’t return people, and people know we can’t do that in the same way we used to be able to.”
He added that in leaving the EU, Britain had lost access to critical shared tracking systems and deportation deals.
More than 200,000 migrants have arrived since data was first collected in January 2018, with the record set at 45,774 in 2022.
The PM previously said he would like to see Britain in his lifetime, but that the public will “be the boss” of its own future.
It comes amid reports that the UK is holding talks with the EU about its options for closer alignment, including the potential return to free movement.
So, is Burnham right to point the finger at for soaring small boat numbers?
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