One migrant has crossed the Channel every six minutes during the first week of October as Andy Burnham faces a surge of small boat crossings.
A staggering 1,739 people made the 21-mile journey to reach British borders between October 1 to October 7.
The shocking rate means six small boat migrants crossed the English Channel every hour throughout the week.
Monday witnessed the largest influx of illegals entering the UK as 609 people crossed in eight vessels.
An average of 76 migrants were packed onto each inflatable dinghy, bringing this year’s total of crossings to 20,935.
The embattled Prime Minister came face-to-face with the migrant crisis looming over Britain as soon as he entered office earlier in the summer.
Within his first two weeks of scaling the steps to No10, some 2,000 migrants crossed the English Channel.
On the latest figures, Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, condemned Labour for leaving borders “wide open”, stressing illegal migrants “go on to commit horrific crimes”.
The shocking rate means six small boat migrants crossed the English Channel every hour
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PA“Labour has not smashed the gangs and their deal with France has just collapsed,” he said.
“They have allowed 95 per cent of illegal small boat migrants to stay, putting them up in hotels and flats. No wonder they keep on coming.”
Meanwhile, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage fumed: “It is an out-of-control disaster that poses a massive threat to our national security.
“It’s only getting worse under Open Borders Burnham.”
BRITAIN’S BORDERS CRISIS – READ MORE:
Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, condemned Labour for leaving borders ‘wide open’
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PA
Ahead of Labour Conference, Mr Burnham blamed Brexit for damaging the Government’s ability to stop illegal migrants crossing the Channel.
The Prime Minister lamented the “loss of collaboration with neighbours” ever since the UK left the European Union at the start of 2020.
Last weekend saw a surge in illegal arrivals, with a total of 1,300 crossing over 48 hours, GB News revealed on Monday.
It is an astonishing surge in migrant crossings over such a short period, at a time of year when the number of illegal dinghy crossings would normally slow down significantly as the weather gets colder.
A total of 91 illegals arrived last Friday, followed by 164 on Saturday and a further 418 on Sunday.
Sunday’s total included 146 migrants who arrived in UK waters near the Isle of Wight after setting off in a mega dinghy in western Normandy.
Two men died on Monday morning while attempting a small boat crossing.
Authorities doubled down on pleas not to risk the journey but the surge in arrivals suggests such calls have fallen on deaf ears.
French authorities said the men, one thought to be in his 30s and the other in his 40s, died after leaving the coast at Berck on Sunday night.