More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Three migrant incidents have occurred at sea off in two days, involving a total 31 people.
At about 8am yesterday Border Force was alerted to a small boat crossing the Channel towards Kent.
The organisation's coastal patrol vessel went out and intercepted the vessel.
The boat had nine men who presented themselves as Iranians.
Meanwhile Border Force were today alerted to two small boats crossing the Channel for Kent today, at 3.55am and 6.15am.
Both vessels were stopped by a Border Force cutter and a total of 22 people, men, women and claimed minors.
They said they were Iranian, Afghan, Pakistani and Filippino.
Each boat had 11 people.
The Home Office says that in all three cases the migrants were transferred onto the Border Force vessel and taken to Dover.
They were all medically assessed, found to be well and passed to immigration officials to be interviewed.
Details emerged of yet another incident today, with a landing of suspected migrants in Romney Marsh and full details are expected from the Home Office.
One woman fell off a migrant boat off Thanet on August 9 and she is now presumed dead.
There have been repeated cases over the last year of migrants trying to reach the UK on small vessels.
Other cases have occurred in the areas of Deal and Folkestone.
During 2019, up to July 22, there were 1,150 attempts by individuals to cross the Channel illegally.
About 725 people arrived in the UK and 425 were intercepted on the French side of the Channel.
The figures were given that day to the Home Affairs committee by the then Home Secretary Sajid Javid.
