In spite of temperatures plummeting to below zero overnight, at least 100 migrants including children in blankets and boots tried crossing the Channel.
According to Home Office statistics, it took 28020 to break the record for the 2021 crossing. This is more than triple the 8500 that crossed in 2020.
Around 25 of those in the initial group were saved after enduring bitter cold to traverse the Dover Strait 21 miles. They had been sleeping under a blanket and it was pitch dark overnight.
Soon after 4:30 am, a RNLI crew took them aboard a lifeboat to Dungeness, Kent.
There were two at most women aboard the ship, one holding onto a six year old boy.
With immigration enforcement officers, coastguard personnel and other police officers in attendance, the group stood at the border to await processing by Immigration Enforcement.
Crossings continued at Dover Marina in Kent where Border Force cutter Speedwell arrived at 9.30am. There were 30 more people aboard.
It is one of the most busy shipping lanes in the world, so migrants are often intercepted there.
All the men in the group were wearing life jackets and were smiley as they waved to each other when being taken ashore.
Photographs also show a frozen individual being wrapped up in towels while Border Force officers push him in a wheelchair.
On Wednesday morning at least 100 migrants were intercepted, with one child in snow boots and blankets (pictured), despite the temperatures plummeting below freezing overnight.
The child is wearing a pair of boots and a snowsuit to prevent temperatures from dropping to below zero on Wednesday night.
After making the dangerous journey across Channel, despite the freezing temperatures, a child is taken off a Kent Gangway.
A group of men in life jackets were seen smiling as they were brought to shore by immigration officers.
Border Force officers push a wheelchair in front of a frozen individual who is wrapped in towels and kept warm.
After trying to cross the Atlantic in a large inflatable boat, the Dover Lifeboat – RNLB City of London II – returned to port shortly after at 10 o’clock.
Speedwell, along with 20 others onboard, arrived at Dover Marina around 10.30 am.
It took 47 boats to bring the number of passengers to cross the border in December from 1,409 to reach the arrivals.
It is nearly six times as many people arrived on 16 boats in the same month of last year, compared to 211.
Even though the seas were calmer in the morning, high winds made the journey dangerously difficult.
There are still ongoing rescue operations in the Channel, with large Border Force vessels Searcher (and Hurricane) on standby.
More than 28,000 people have already crossed the Channel by boat in this particular year.
This number was exceeded after 82 people were rescued or intercepted in 3 incidents that occurred on Tuesday, while taking advantage of the calmer waters for the crossing.
Around 30 migrants were wrapped up in blankets and wore life jackets when they were brought to the Dover Marina in Kent at 9am..
A number of migrants included a As they disembarked, a man was seen holding a child in his arms.
According to the Home Office, at least 86 French nationals were prevented from entering the UK by French authorities in four separate events that took place on Tuesday.
After being temporarily stopped by high winds and strong waves in recent weeks small boat crossings have been able to resume due to calmer water in the Channel.
A total 27 people died after their boat capsized during an attempt to cross the ocean. Seven of them were women, and one was a girl.
An RNLI Dover lifeboat brought a group of migrants to Dover Marina Wednesday.
After crossing the Channel, migrants are taken from their boats by a crew member.
Following being caught by RNLI crews at Dungeness, Kent, Migrants are waiting to be processed in Immigration Enforcement
After crossing the Channel, a migrant was taken to Border Force to have his/her case processed
After intercepting over 100 migrants on Wednesday morning, Border Force officers begin processing the migrants.
Dan O’Mahoney, Clandestine Channel Threat Commander, said: ‘Last month’s tragedy is a devastating reminder of the dangers of Channel crossings and we are determined to work with our European and international partners to target the ruthless organised criminal gangs behind them.
“Unbelievably these gangs keep on trading deadly drugs with even more crossings today. They shamelessly put lives in danger.
“People intending to travel should seek asylum in any country that they can reach, instead of crossing the Channel via a country within the EU.
‘The Government’s New Plan for Immigration will be firm on those coming here via illegal routes and fair for those using safe and legal routes. This will decrease the draw factors of the existing asylum and immigration system.
It was as The Inspectorate of Prisons, Dover and Heathrow Independent Monitoring Boardss (IMB), a group of volunteers assigned by ministers published their findings about migrant detention centers visited over the past three months.
The report stated that women who claimed they were raped in smugglers’ homes were not being supported and that lone children were held with non-related adults.
After online crise talks with French counterparts, Priti Patel pledged to end ‘100%’ of migrants crossing the border.
In a joint statement, the Home Office stated that they had also addressed the growing crisis of migrants in Eastern Europe. Britain also accused Russia and Belarus of trying to subvert European unity.
Ms Patel and Mr Darmanin stated that the Home Secretary had spoken to Gerald Darmanin, her French counterpart, to talk about the Channel crossing problem and to determine the best operational solution.
The Home Secretary as well as the Interior Minister have agreed to intensify operational cooperation. To stop dangerous crossings, more must be done. The two sides agreed to speed up the fulfillment of their commitments in the July 2021 joint agreement to stop dangerous crossings.