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Iran has been accused of smuggling spies into the UK disguised as small boat migrants crossing the English Channel.

UK authorities are said to have discovered individuals linked to Tehran's intelligence agencies among asylum seekers arriving in Britain by using face recognition technology fitted to drones and surveillance watchtowers.

It is also understood that the routes used to traffic migrants are operated and 'owned' by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The Daily Mail reported in March how asylum seekers ostensibly fleeing the war in Iran had arrived in France to cross the Channel to the UK.

Dozens were said to have arrived in vans at the Loon-Plage migrant camp in Dunkirk after travelling from Iran via Turkey.

Oxford University's migration observatory has said that Iranians were the most common nationality among asylum seekers to the UK over the past decade.

But it was also through these routes that the Iranian state had managed to position 'revolutionary people' in London ready to act on behalf of the state.

The revelation comes as it emerged more than 500 small-boat migrants arrived during Andy Burnham's first week as Prime Minister.

Sources said one dinghy was a staggering 12m long and carried 165, with the six vessels crossing the Channel in total this week branded 'Burnham's boats'.

More migrants were spotted in the Channel on Wednesday, meaning the tally was closer to around 600.

Routes used to traffic small boat migrants from Iran to Britain are operated and 'owned' by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), insiders have revealed

One dinghy spotted this week was a staggering 12m long and carried 165 people

Iran has warned that Britain's RAF Fairford is a 'legitimate target' after the US used the base to launch a B1 bomber raid

Critics said Andy Burnham should spend more time trying to stop the boats and blasted him for failing to mention immigration in his first week as PM. This is despite the issue topping a string of recent voter polls.

He has so far talked about lowering bills and bus fares, and launched his No10 North yesterday – hailing it the 'best day of my life'.

But the public remains in the dark about his plans to secure Britain's borders.

The latest revelations about Iran using small boats to smuggle in spies has led some to question Mr Burnham's 'silence' on the issue.

Alicia Kearns, shadow security minister, told The Telegraph: 'The Government needs to face facts: the IRGC is exploiting the small boats crisis to put its operatives on British streets.

'We need an urgent taskforce to root out Iranian agents among those arriving and who've arrived on our shores, designation of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security under hostile state legislation, and emergency powers to shut down IRGC cut-outs like the Islamic Centre of England.

'Tehran is openly threatening Britain and we have a Prime Minister silent on our national security – our people deserve answers, action and leadership.'

Sir Ken McCallum, head of MI5, warned earlier this year that Iran was plotting attacks at 'an unprecedented pace and scale', and said there was a risk that Iranian state aggression could 'broaden' due to conflict in the Middle East.

He also revealed Iran is said to have backed 20 plots posing a potentially lethal threat to journalists and dissidents living in Britain since January 2022.

Over the last year, MI5 investigations into hostile-state threats have risen by almost 50 per cent following a surge in assassination, kidnap, arson and sabotage plots.

And last October, Sir Ken warned: 'We've seen plot after plot here.'

Iran uses criminal proxies, from international drug traffickers to 'low-level crooks', to carry out its 'dirty work' in the UK, he added.

Tensions between the UK and Iran have heightened further this week after the state warned Britain's RAF Fairford is now a 'legitimate target' following the use of the base by the US to launch a B1 bomber raid.

The IRGC also made threatening remarks towards the 'British monarchy regime' if it continues to support America's war effort against Tehran.

'The aggressive US military, which had been using cruise missiles from its ships in the Indian Ocean in its aggressions after the official resumption of the war, turned to using B1 aircraft flying from Fairford Air Base in England [...] as the missile reserves of the aforementioned ships ran out,' the statement said, according to the IRNA news agency.

'As Foreign Ministry officials have also clarified, any base used to invade Iranian territory is our legitimate target,' it added.

The British government has responded by saying its military was 'ready 24/7 to defend' Britain from 'any kind of attacks, whether it's on our soil or from abroad'.

More than 500 small-boat migrants arrived during Andy Burnham's first week as Prime Minister. Pictured: Arrivals at Dover, Kent this week

It added: 'This includes through operating a layered approach to air and missile defence, provided by Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force assets equipped with a range of advanced capabilities, working closely with our Nato allies.

'The UK’s approach to the conflict remains the same – we are committed to defending our people, our interests and our allies, acting in accordance with international law and not getting drawn into the wider conflict.'

Commenting on the latest small boat figures, Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage said the arrival represented a 'dangerous invasion'.

He 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 dinghy crossing yesterday with 165 illegal immigrants on it.

'Only the Conservative Party have a plan to end Channel crossings by leaving the ECHR [European Convention on 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 on 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.'

The arrivals came after figures showed small-boat migrants accounted for just 7 per cent of deportations last year, suggesting most are not deported.

But a Home Office spokesman said: ‘Removals of small-boat migrants are at record levels and asylum claims down by 12 per cent.’