Twelve small boat migrants caught crossing Channel as UK fails to control borders | UK | News

Young children were among a group of people thought to be migrants brought into Dover earlier today.

A Border Force vessel was dispatched to intercept a small boat incident in the Channel on Monday.

Images show around 12 people in the group. Many are children, including a young child being held by an adult. The group were given blankets and assisted by Border Force staff as they queued on the dock.

The most common small vessels detected making these types of crossings are rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs), dinghies and kayaks.

According to the Government a ‘small boat’ is one of a number of vessels used by individuals who cross the English Channel “with the aim of gaining entry to the UK without a visa or permission”.

This can be “either directly by landing in the UK or having been intercepted at sea by the authorities and brought ashore”.

Latest figures show that on February 28, 249 migrants and 5 boats were detected. On March 3 there were 327 migrants and 8 boats.

A Home Office spokesperson said: « Our priority is to stop the boats, which is why we have taken robust action to crack down on vile people smuggling gangs, deter migrants from making dangerous crossings and, alongside our French counterparts, intercept vessels.

« This relentless action reduced crossings by 36 percent last year, despite numbers soaring by 80 percent in the Mediterranean, and more than 26,000 attempts were prevented. »

According to the Home Office, measures introduced to tackle illegal migration since the Prime Minister took office include « a package of measures agreed with France to the deployment of more than double the number of French personnel and enhanced technology to patrol beaches ».

There is also a “a strengthened partnership” with Turkey which includes UK and Turkish law enforcement officers stepping up joint operations to tackle Organised Immigration Crime and disrupt the supply chain of boat parts used as part of illegal migration journeys.

More information about small boats can be found at Refugee Action’s website.