UK border security chief to step down as government fails to get a grip on small boats crisis
The head of Britain’s border security command will resign at the end of March after the government failed to control the number of small boats that continue to cross the Channel.
Martin Hewitt will leave his post as border security commander after 18 months, the Home Office has confirmed.
Sir Keir Starmer appointed Mr Hewitt, a former senior police officer, shortly after becoming prime minister, tasking him with reducing the number of small boats crossing the Channel.
Transitions have continued since he took office in September 2024, and 58,910 people have traveled during this period. His tenure also saw the second highest annual number of people crossing the Channel, with 41,472 arriving in the UK by small boat last year.
Small boat migrants made up 41 per cent of the total number of people seeking asylum last year, while Eritreans were the most common nationality to arrive in the UK after making the perilous journey across the Channel. Around 39 per cent of asylum seekers claimed asylum after entering the UK on a visa or through other legal means.
It is understood Mr Hewitt will leave at the end of the month and be replaced by an interim replacement before his permanent successor is announced.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We would like to thank Martin Hewitt CBE QPM for his dedicated leadership of Border Security Command since its establishment.
“Over the past 18 months, Border Security Command has brought together government agencies, law enforcement and international partners to combat human smuggling gangs and pass the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act.”
Sources told Sun, The person who first reported the move said Mr Hewitt had decided to resign amid “disappointments” with the role.
Mr Hewitt previously served as chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, co-ordinating all of Britain’s police forces as they entered Covid lockdown rules.
He told MPs in October 2025 that the ongoing crossings were “frustrating” but insisted it would “always take time” to deter people from making the journey.
According to official figures, around 3,863 people have arrived in the UK by small boat so far this year; among them were 144 people on two boats on Thursday.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “The Government’s failure on small boats is not down to Martin Hewitt.
“Because Keir Starmer and Shabana Mahmood are too weak to take the necessary steps, such as leaving the ECHR and deporting all illegal immigrants within a week of their arrival.”
