After dozens of people crossed the Channel on Sunday, a group comprising small children was intercepted by police. This brings the total for this year to over 1000.
Border Force, according to the estimates of observers, intercepted and rescued approximately 90 persons from three boats yesterday afternoon. Photos also show another large group that was brought in this morning.
These numbers are likely to bring January’s total to more than 1000, which is five times as many as the 223 that arrived last month.
According to official statistics, 965 migrants have reached the Channel this year in 33 boats. However, the Home Office does not yet know how many.
More people are making the treacherous journey to today, with only one boat being intercepted by 10am.
It is likely to be quieter than Sunday, which was dominated by a huge cutter Searcher and a catamaran Hurricane that swam the 21-mile Dover Strait.
Pictured: After dozens of people crossed the Channel Sunday, a group comprising children and migrants were intercepted today. This brings the total for this year to over 1000.
Border Force officers were seen bringing about 12 migrants safely to safety.
Pictured: This morning, a group of migrants was saved that included several small children
This year, more than 1,000 migrants arrived.
Yesterday’s sighting of migrants was reported by a Coastguard Spotter Plan flying above the Channel. It happened around noon.
Pilots claimed that they witnessed migrants desperate to escape water and get air in their doomed dinghy, which had burst.
The UK Border Force boat ‘Hurricane,’ which was carrying migrants to the UK saved one group after they lost air from the inflatable boat that had been used to transport them on their perilous journey.
The last group of migrants was brought into harbour packed onto the back of the RNLI’s Dover Lifeboat around 8pm last night.
A man, around the age of three, appeared to be in a state of emotionality as he carried his son on his shoulders.
Another little boy wearing a woolly hat and draped in a blanket was carried in his father’s arms to safety.
Since 24 people traveled in just one boat on Wednesday last week, they are now the first to arrive.
It is unlikely that many people will make the dangerous journey today due to current conditions.
Pictured: Speedwell, a vessel belonging to the Border Force that transports migrants from across the border into safety.
The Maritime Prefecture in the Channel and the North Sea reported that a French Navy PSP (Polluvier) patrol boat from the public service of the Navy saved a boat carrying 10 migrants who were in trouble off Dunkirk on Sunday morning and then returned them to Calais.
Official figures are yet to be released by the Home Office for Sunday or today.
An estimated 28381 persons crossed the Channel between 2021 and 2020, which is more than triple the 8400 who arrived in 2020.
It comes after it was reported that Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave Home Secretary Priti Patel the green light to develop new powers that would allow male asylum seekers crossing the Narrow Sea to be held in immigration removal centres.
The Home Office revealed earlier this week that it plans to only publish an annual total of crossings of migrants four times per day, instead of publishing them daily.
At least 28381 migrants crossed the Channel to reach England, surpassing the 2020 figure. This was in spite of substantial investment made by the French and UK authorities to avoid crossings.
This month’s arrivals of migrants have already surpassed last year’s.
UK authorities have intercepted more than 1,000 migrants so far this year – more than three times the 223 in January 2021. The Channel intercepted 28,381 individuals last year.
After it was revealed yesterday that the Prime Minister encouraged Priti Patel, Priti Patel and others to continue with the policy of detaining all male migrants, the Prime Minister appears to be taking steps to reduce the flow of migrants into the UK through the Channel.
Although the Home Office does not publish a breakdown by gender or age of Channel migrants, Miss Patel asserts that 7 in 10 people crossing the Narrow Sea from Channel are men younger than 40.
Mr Johnson’s new gung-ho attitude to border security is part of a series of populist policies which are intended to shore up his tottering premiership as the embattled Tory leader faces calls to quit over the ‘Partygate’ lockdown scandal enveloping Westminster.
According to The Times Miss Patel works closely with Suella Braverman, Attorney-General of India to find out what existing laws allow detention and what powers new MPs would need to approve.
Only migrants that land in the UK can be arrested and detained.
A statement is expected next month in connection with wider plans by the Royal Navy for operational control over Channel crossings.
Pictured: Yesterday evening, the RNLI was among those who helped to transport migrants to safety.
Although it was estimated that over 90 persons were rescued yesterday, the Home Office has not yet confirmed the figure. Pictured: A man and a child are carried off the Border Force boat by a father.
These plans would be accompanied with powers to remove Channel migrants from the UK, including proposals to ‘outsource’ asylum claims to third countries.
A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘The British public have had enough of seeing people die in the Channel while ruthless criminal gangs profit from their misery and our New Plan for Immigration will fix the broken system which encourages migrants to make this lethal journey.’
UK authorities have intercepted more than 800 migrants so far this year — more than three times the 223 who sailed across the Narrow Sea in January 2021.
In 2020, only 8,410 people would have been intercepted by the Channel. Last year’s total was 28,381 people.
Home Office officials have warned Miss Patel that 65,000 migrants could cross the Channel this year – more than double last year’s 28,300 record number.
This comes just after the government was accused of trying ‘cover-up’ the migrant crises after it was reported by the Home Office that they will stop publishing daily numbers of migrants crossing the border and instead announce a running total every three months.
Currently, the Home Office issues data once arrivals have been processed and confirmed by the UK Border Force. This is usually on the next day. However, this may stop if the Ministry of Defence (MoD), takes control of operations to intercept migrants.
The move has drawn criticism from Tory MPs – with one saying it ‘seems more like burying bad news than being transparent about crossings.
Unidentified Conservative added: “It looks like they are covering up. No doubt journalists will create their own numbers based upon people’s arrival at Tughaven.” [the migrant processing centre in Dover]Freedom of Information request.
Alp Mehmet, chairman of Migration Watch UK which campaigns for tougher border controls, added: ‘This is a cowardly act. This just proves that the government is scared.
‘I’m very surprised at Priti Patel, and the British people deserve better from her.
‘Do they really think they can hide the figures from the electorate when all this takes place in the open on our beaches and at our ports?
‘The Home Office can’t simply pretend this problem is not happening, and hope it will go away.’
Internal Home Office documents show officials are planning for a ‘worst case scenario’ of up to 65,000 arrivals this year.
Dover’s Conservative MP Natalie Elphicke said: ‘We need to continue with daily updates.
‘To start reporting them on any other basis I don’t think will be acceptable, particularly for such an important and immediate issue.
‘Not having accurate daily figures risks misinformation being spread about the number of arrivals, and that would be highly damaging to the attempts to try to solve this long-standing crisis.’
Philip Hollobone, another Tory backbencher who is MP for Kettering, said: ‘Any attempt to hide the scale of the problem will raise alarm bells among everyone who is concerned about this.
This is where maximum transparency is needed. Public demand to see daily arrivals numbers.
‘Until the daily figure goes down to zero, they will not be satisfied.
‘Trying to cover up the scale of the problem is helping no-one but the Government.’
Hollobone stated that he will raise concerns with the Home Office.
‘Its strategy to stop people trafficking across the Channel isn’t working. Until we can take people back to France the numbers will keep on going up,’ he added.