“Small boat crossings are coming down under this government, and the opposite happened when Robert Jenrick was immigration minister.” — Andy Burnham. Our verdict: Partly True.
Andy Burnham said this in the House of Commons on 12 October 2026, answering Robert Jenrick after a statement on the UK's relationship with the EU. The London Economic reported it.
Our verdict
Partly True
Partly true. Crossings are well down this year: 41% fewer people had crossed by 8 October than at the same point in 2025. But they also fell while Robert Jenrick was immigration minister, from 45,774 in 2022 to 29,437 in 2023.
What we found
Andy Burnham told the Commons on 12 October 2026 that small boat crossings were coming down under this government and that the opposite had happened when Robert Jenrick was immigration minister, The London Economic reported.
The first part is right. The Home Office said on 29 September 2026 that arrivals so far this year were about 42% lower than at the same point in 2025. Figures to 8 October, compiled from Home Office data by Asylum Stats, show 20,935 arrivals against 35,476 a year earlier, 41% fewer.
The second part is wrong. Jenrick was immigration minister from October 2022 to December 2023, and crossings fell in that time: 45,774 people arrived in 2022 and 29,437 in 2023, a drop of 36%, Full Fact reported from Home Office figures. They rose again in 2024, after he had left the post.
The evidence
1 contradict and 2 support the claim, of 4 sources.
- Background
Burnham told the Commons that crossings are coming down under this government and that the opposite happened when Jenrick was immigration minister. The report gives no figures. [1]
- Supports the claim
The Home Office said year-to-date arrivals were about 42% lower than at the same point last year. [2]
- Supports the claim
20,935 people crossed between 1 January and 8 October 2026, against 35,476 at the same point in 2025, 41% fewer. [3]
- Contradicts the claim
Arrivals fell from 45,774 in 2022 to 29,437 in 2023, a 36% drop, before rising again in 2024. [4]
How we checked
We read the report of the Commons exchange and compared Home Office small boat figures for this year with those for 2022 and 2023. We reviewed 4 relevant sources.
Sources
- [1]The London Economic · Burnham tears into Robert Jenrick over Reform's immigration plans
- [2]Home Office · Latest statement in response to small boat crossings
- [3]Asylum Stats · How many small boats have crossed this year?
- [4]Full Fact · Small boat claims in Conservative ad don't reflect rise in crossings this year
- [5]Photo: Prime Minister's Office / Wikimedia Commons, OGL 3
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