Asylum seekers have been rescued at sea as temperatures plummet.

In recent days there have been several emergency calls from people stranded aboard flimsy and broken boats in the Channel.

Dangerously low wind and water temperatures along with strong currents and poor lighting make the already perilous journey across the world's busiest shipping lane even more treacherous.

Crossings can take anything between five and 10 hours.

Pictures captured this morning (Wednesday) show the RNLI's Morrell bringing a group ashore at Dungeness just after 4.30am. The photographer said one woman was seven months pregnant, while there was at least one young child among them.

The group of around 25 had crossed on a flimsy boat which began taking on water sparking an emergency response.

A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency told Kent Online: "HM Coastguard has been coordinating a search and rescue response to an incident involving small boats off Kent, working with Border Force and other partners.

"We sent the Dungeness lifeboat.

"HM Coastguard will continue to safeguard life around the seas and coastal areas of the UK, working with search and rescue resources in the area.

"If a vessel needs search and rescue assistance, HM Coastguard will continue to respond and rescue those in danger."

Yesterday Border Force rescued or intercepted 82 people on three boats.

French authorities stopped at least 86 people on four boats reaching the UK.

That's on top of nearly 1,200 who crossed the Channel between last Thursday and Sunday.

On Thursday, UK authorities rescued 559 people aboard 19 boats crossing the sea between France and Kent.

On Friday, another 358 people arrived in the county on 10 boats and on Sunday 274 people crossed the sea on 11 boats.

Since the start of 2021 more than 30,000 people have now reached the UK in small boats, more than triple the total for the whole of 2020.

On December 8 a new law was passed, the Nationality and Borders Bill, aimed at making unlawfully crossing the Channel even harder.

Minister for justice and tackling illegal migration Tom Pursglove claimed the bill is what the public wants

“The sooner the House of Lords passes the Bill in the New Year, the sooner we can break the business model of the people smugglers, protect those in genuine need of asylum and ensure the swift removal of those with no right to be here," he added.

Yesterday the sentences of four asylum seekers, jailed for piloting small boats, were quashed at the Court of Appeal. The new bill would introduce life sentences for members of people smuggling gangs.

At total 27 people died on November 24 after the dinghy they were travelling in capsized, in the worst refugee loss of life in the Channel.

KentOnline has also contacted the Home Office to learn final details of today's incident.