One of the 200 migrants that sailed yesterday along Kent’s coast held a baby in its arms.

Three boats landed on Dungeness’ shoreline, leaving behind approximately 65 people.  

Witnesses said that Border Force officers led coaches full of men away from the sandy beach. 

Paul Fenney was 40 years old and from Folkestone (Kent) when he spotted the landings.  

Migrants huddle together on the beach at Dungeness yesterday after three crammed boats arrived on the shoreline

Yesterday, migrants congregated on Dungeness beach after three large boats arrived.

A newborn baby clutched to its mother's chest was among around 200 migrants that arrived on the Kent coastline yesterday

The Kent coast was home to around 200 migrants yesterday, including a baby born clutched close to her mother’s chest.

According to Mr Fenney, he saw three ambulances and three coaches as well as about 40 police boats and RNLI vessels.

It was full, but the driver said that the other coach was empty.

“There were 3 boats. They were overloaded. A newborn child was taken to the hospital by female paramedics, its mother and rushed off. 

“We saw ten little boys. They looked as if they could walk on their own. The Border Force personnel were accompanying them as they walked with the group.

The majority of the men were there – only one female was seen with her baby in her arms.  

Just one of the three boats - each estimated to have been crammed with about 65 people - which landed in Kent yesterday. A mother and infant child are understood to be pictured in front of the boat.

Only one of three boats, each estimated to be crammed with 65 people, landed yesterday in Kent. An infant and mother are seen standing in front of the boat. 

Witnesses taking a walk in Dungeness described how they saw coachloads full of mainly men being taken away by Border Force officials

Witnesses on a Dungeness walk described seeing coaches full of mostly male Border Force personnel being removed from them

These news come amid reports of asylum seekers getting tattoos featuring Jesus and cruxifixes, as proof they converted to Christianity. They cannot return to the Middle East on religious grounds.

According to Sunday Telegraph, more than twenty asylum applicants have received immigration appeal judgements in the last five year. These tattoos are connected with Christianity, Atheism, or homosexuality.

Each case involved tattoos that were used to explain the risks individuals could face returning to Muslim homelands. Most of those countries consider gay and abandoning the Islamic faith criminal offenses. 

Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of Britain is being pressured by his own party for a more aggressive stance towards migrants who cross the channel. According to a Sunday Telegraph poll, 77% felt that the Government’s approach on this issue was too soft.

Johnson was advised by top party officials that moving to the centre of politics would “open up a space” on the PM’s right flank. It could also leave room for another party, potentially costing the Tories majority at future elections.

Craig Mackinlay today, Tory MP for South Thanet (Kent), said this to BBC’s The World This Weekend program that the issue could cost him votes, as the current state of affairs ‘looks almost like state failure. 

After Emad Al Swaalmeen, a 32-year-old suicide bomber, blew himself up at Liverpool’s Remembrance Sunday service, last week the Church of England vigorously protected itself. He had previously converted to Christianity just before his death. 

In 2017, he spent eight months with Christian activists Malcolm Hitchcott and Elizabeth Hitchcott. He was pictured attending services at Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral.

According to the Church of England, it is not the job of clergy to decide if an asylum request is valid.

Emad Al Swealmeen (right), 32, who blew himself up in Liverpool on Remembrance Sunday, pictured at a service at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral

Emad Al Swealmeen 32 (right), who killed himself in Liverpool on Remembrance Day, is pictured during a service at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral

Al Swealmeen, who was refused permission to appeal his right to remain in Britain, had already been sectioned by the Mental Health Act following his rejection for asylum back in 2014. 

Priti Patel, Home Secretary, criticized the asylum system’s’merry-go round’ and claimed that legal aid was being used to exploit it.

In the past five years, over 20 asylum claims have featured religious tattoos of Jesus and crucifixes as evidence of the risk posed to the individual if they return to their home countries

Over 20 asylum applications have included religious tattoos depicting Jesus or crucifixes in the last five years. This is evidence that the person’s risk of being returned to their homeland has been proven.

Although many asylum seekers get religious tattoos granted asylum, one man from Bradford aged 25 was denied asylum in 2018. A judge ruled that the tattoo didn’t genuinely represent the faith of the applicant.

Birmingham saw another case where an Iranian man had a tattoo showing a cruxifix. The ruling was made despite an earlier hearing declaring that the image was only intended to impede his chance of receiving asylum.

Manchester saw another case last year in which a young Iranian-born man was granted leave to stay after an evidence from a Christian clergywoman that was certain his conversion to Christianity was true.  The tribunal was informed that the special church services had been attended by more than 130 persons from 37 different countries, with 70 Iranians.

Although official figures are not yet available, it has been estimated that many people traveled to Dungeness from other parts of the country yesterday.

French officials reported that 243 persons in trouble were rescued and taken to safety at Boulogne, Dunkirk, and Calais.

More than 24,700 people have arrived in the UK so far this year after making the Channel crossing in small boats – almost three times the number there were in 2020.

For comment, we have reached out the Home Office.