A weekend of calmer conditions in the Channel has given people smugglers a clear opportunity
Over 500 small boat migrants have arrived in Dover this weekend, GB News can reveal.
A weekend of calmer conditions in the Channel has given people smugglers a clear opportunity to launch boats from France.
It was revealed yesterday that more than 250 migrants had arrived on four boats, with another boat also inbound. However, it was unclear how many people were aboard the final vessel.
One small boat making it to within a couple of miles of the Kent coast before being intercepted.
Border Force vessels and a lifeboat scrambled to reach the vessel before it was able to land on the Kent coast.
The vessel had made the crossing from France undetected before being picked up close to British waters.
This weekend's crossings come after a five-day pause in Channel arrivals, with calmer conditions providing a fresh opportunity for people smugglers to launch boats from the French coast.
Today’s crossings also take the total number of arrivals since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister to more than 2,300.
Weather conditions are expected to remain calm enough for the possibility of further crossings.
Earlier this week, a ‘mega dinghy’ that capsized in the English Channel after its engine caught fire was confirmed as 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 made 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.
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.”
