Two more groups of migrants trying to reach Britain via Kent have been rescued overnight.

It comes on top of three confirmed cases yesterday bringing the total number of case since November to 41 - involving 335 people.

Dover and Deal MP Charlie Elphicke is set to raise the matter directly with Home Secretary Sajid Javid in the House of Commons today.

The Home Office said 15 people were found on a rigid-hulled inflatable boat at 11.30pm last night.

Then at 4am, eight people were found on a small boat.

All were found off the Kent coast and were brought into Dover.

The Home Office said that in both cases the Border Force boats HMC (Her Majesty's Cutter) Vigilant and Coastal Patrol Vessel (CPV) Hunter were deployed.

A spokesman said: "The people were medically assessed and transferred to immigration officials for interview. There are no details regarding nationalities at this stage."

This two cases come after three incidents earlier yesterday .

At 7am the Border Force received reports of a RHIB and six six men on the beach at Kingsdown, near Deal.

About an hour later two men found at The Warren, Folkestone.

And at 9.30am the Border Force intercepted a vessel off the coast of Dover with eight men who said they were Iranian. This was towed into the Port of Dover.

Most of these 16 said they were Iranian.

Following these latest cases Dover and Deal MP Charlie Elphicke intends to raise the issue with the Home Secretary during Home Office questions in Parliament this afternoon.

Mr Elphicke said: “We need to know when our cutters will return from the Med And we need to ensure there is round the clock aerial surveillance able to detect any small craft setting off the French coast.

“Because everyone knows the most effective deterrent to people trafficking and the best way to prevent a tragedy is for traffickers to know that boats will always be intercepted and returned to France.”

These five incidents yesterday and today show a resurgence of attempts by migrants to reach Britain, mostly by small craft, after a New Year lull.

There were a total 35 know cases involving 288 people from November 8 to New Year's Eve, mostly through dinghies and other small craft.

The figure also includes those picked up in French waters and brought back to France for questioning by the authorities there.

The latest five cases now pushes up the total to exactly 41, involving 335 people.

The first know case of 2019 was in January 7 when eight people were found in Romney Marsh, three at Lydd and five at Dungeness.