At least five migrant dinghies are attempting to reach the UK, the first crossings for five days
Hundreds of illegal immigrants are crossing the English Channel today, as weather conditions improved overnight.
At least five migrant dinghies are attempting to reach the UK, the first crossings for five days, after windy weather prevented people smugglers from launching their boats.
GB News can confirm that one migrant dinghy made it across the Channel undetected this morning, until it was just a couple of miles from the Kent coast.
Border force vessels and a lifeboat scrambled to reach the dinghy before it was able to land on Shakespeare beach close to Dover harbour.
GB News estimates that more than 300 migrants will have arrived in the UK if all the dinghies make it to British waters today.
It would take the total number of illegal arrivals so far this year to more than 14,500.
Today’s crossings also take the total number of arrivals under Prime Minister Andy Burnham to more than 2,300.
Weather conditions are expected to remain calm enough for the possibility of more crossings on Sunday.
Earlier this week, a ‘mega dinghy’ that capsized in the English Channel after its engine caught fire was confirmed as a the largest small boat to attempt to cross from France.
French authorities said 173 people were rescued by French vessels, helped by two British Border Security Command boats and an RNLI lifeboat. They were taken to Boulogne-sur-Mer, officials added.
This makes it the largest single vessel to attempt to cross the Channel carrying migrants.
The dinghy, which left the beach at Veules-les-Roses, near Dieppe, on Monday night, caught fire in the French search and rescue region on Tuesday morning, the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency said.
A total of 63 migrants were taken to France on the British vessels.
There were no reported fatalities, the UK Government said. Their French counterparts said 11 people suffered minor injuries, with three taken to hospital.
The total number on the boat broke the previous record of 165 who reached the UK late last month in a 13-metre (42ft) boat dubbed a “mega dinghy” by the media. The previous record, in the same month, was 128 people.
In a translated statement, French authorities said the decision was initially made not to force the migrants to board rescue vessels to “avoid endangering their lives”.
Following the incident, a UK Government spokesperson said: “This morning, the Border Security Command was alerted to an incident in the Channel concerning a migrant small boat in distress in French waters.
“British vessels supported a French search and rescue operation. This is a live rescue operation but at this stage there have been no fatalities reported. Those on board will be safely returned to France.
“This incident underlines the terrible dangers of small boat crossings. We continue to work relentlessly with the French and our partners overseas to prevent these perilous journeys.”
A coastguard spokesperson said: “A vessel caught fire earlier this morning whilst in the French search and rescue region. UK vessels and a lifeboat are assisting.”
