Burnham's mega-dinghy: Biggest ever migrant boat carrying 165 crosses Channel days after he became PM - yet he STILL stays silent on immigration

A record 165 migrants crossed the Channel to the UK in a single boat yesterday - as Andy Burnham was attacked for his 'disgraceful' silence on immigration.The mega-dinghy was launched from France at 6.30am yesterday before the migrants were picked up by a Border Force vessel in UK waters and taken to Dover.It was the largest number of migrants on a single boat since small boat crossings began in 2018, easily beating the previous record of 128 set on July 12. Yesterday was the second day of crossings since Mr Burnham became Prime Minister - piling pressure on him to make the issue a priority. He has promised to end rough sleeping and cap bus fares at £2, while also announcing unfunded cuts to VAT on energy bills and business rates for pubs.But the public remains in the dark about what he plans to do on immigration, including small boat crossings. Some 366 people in total made the journey in three boats yesterday. It came after 172 arrivals on Wednesday - which brought to an end an 11-day hiatus when wind swept the Channel. A total of 77,183 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel during Sir Keir Starmer's premiership, which followed Labour's election victory in July 2024.According to Home Office figures, 13,007 arrivals have been recorded this year.Sources said the vessel (mega-dinghy) carrying them was a staggering 12 metres long.And more migrants were spotted in the Channel today, meaning the tally could hit around 600 tonight. The boat was launched from northern France at 6.30am yesterday before the migrants were picked up by a Border Force vessel and taken to Dover Andy Burnham drinks a pint at the Hare pub in Harlow, Essex, while promoting his business rates cut for the hospitality sector Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp hit out at Mr Burnham for not saying 'a single word' on the matter since coming into office on Monday. 'This mega dinghy is absolutely shocking,' he told GB News. 'This is incredibly serious, and it is disgraceful, frankly, that Andy Burnham, the new Prime Minister, has not said a single word about this question during his election campaign or indeed since becoming Prime Minister in his various speeches. 'He clearly doesn't care about this issue, but I certainly do. I think Shabana Mahmood needs to urgently get a grip of this.' The UK coastguard said that Border Force vessels, a UK coastguard aeroplane along with RNLI Dungeness lifeboat responded to 'small boats activity' in the Channel yesterday morning.Describing the mega-dinghy, a spokesman for the French lifeboat service told GB News: 'The situation is alarming, unique, and exceptional. Around 150 people are on board, and one of the floats is leaking. Despite this, the vessel continues on its way. 'The vessel is already well out to sea. We are astonished by the number of people on board this inflatable boat.'The crew is constantly trying to inflate the side float, while taking in significant amounts of water.' Migrants leave a Border Force clipper in Dover after being intercepted in the Channel yesterday. It is unclear if these were the men onboard the mega-dinghy Pictures from Dover yesterday show migrants wearing life jackets being brought ashore at the Kent port A migrant mega-dinghy pictured in Dover harbour last year French patrol ship Minckis reportedly handed out life jackets to several migrants who did not have any.Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage said: 'Open borders Burnham' will do nothing to stop the illegal and dangerous invasion of our country, he won't even mention it.'Only Reform will stop the boats.'The Tories' shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: 'More illegal immigrants crossed the Channel under Keir Starmer than under any other Prime Minister.'And now we've had a terrible start with Burnham's boats and the largest ever migrant dingy crossing yesterday with 165 illegal immigrants on it.'Illegal immigrant crossings continue to define Labour - because they refuse to take the action needed to stop it.'Only the Conservative Party has a plan to end Channel crossings by leaving the European Convention of Human Rights and deporting all illegal immigrants within a week of arrival.'Labour peer Lord Glasman, founder of the Blue Labour Right-leaning group, called on Mr Burnham to take a more 'aggressive' stance towards the Channel crisis.He said: 'What's happening here is absolutely outrageous.'I've been in favour for a long time of putting the Royal Navy in the Channel and literally stopping the boats…we've got to have a much more aggressive policy towards the French government.'Meanwhile, an Afghan man who steered an overcrowded dinghy in the Channel for two hours was jailed yesterday for two years for endangering others.Basir Ramatullah, also known as Baseer Ahmad, was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court after pleading guilty to endangering others during a sea crossing on May 2. The offence came into force in January as part of new border security legislation.Surveillance imagery found Ramatullah to be in control of the boat for more than two hours, prosecutor Ben Wild said.'Prior to the boat being stopped by Border Force, Mr Ahmad was seen to move away from the engine and sit on the floor,' he added.Sentencing him, Judge Edmund Fowler said: 'You were identified as having endangered others, because you had been observed being in control of the vessel for some two hours crossing the English Channel in an extremely busy stretch of water.'The rib was overloaded, at least one person was not wearing a personal flotation device.'As a Border Force vessel approached you, you moved away from the engine and sat on the floor.'On Saturday, 50 boats and engines destined for Channel people smuggling gangs were seized by the National Crime Agency (NCA) at the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk.At least 25 ten-metre-long rubber boats – which could carry at least 80 people each – and 25 Parsun outboard engines were found in a container shipped from China.It is said to be the first time a bulk consignment of its kind has been seized in the UK and may have disrupted an estimated 2,000 migrants' crossing attempts.Investigators believe the cargo was due to be delivered at the next stop in Hamburg, in Germany – a 'well-known staging post' for boats and equipment used by Channel people smugglers in northern France and Belgium, the NCA said.