Two toddlers were among those rescued at sea early this morning (Wednesday).

Photographs show one small child in a pink spotted coat and woollen hat, and with a blanket, carried ashore by a Border Force official.

The second child, carried by a non-uniformed man, wore a blue coat and blue woollen hat.

Those seen brought in by a Border Force vessel also included some women and a large group of men in life jackets.

The rescue happened in early morning darkness today with those saved brought to the Tug Haven at Dover Western Docks for initial processing.

The Home Office later today confirmed that UK authorities have had to rescue or intercept 25 people in one incident.

Also today the French authorities stopped 30 people crossing the Channel in one other case.

Minister for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration, Tom Pursglove MP, said: “People fleeing persecution should seek safety in the first safe country they reach and not risk their lives paying criminal gangs to cross the Channel.

“This Government is reforming our approach to illegal entry to the UK and asylum by making the tough decisions to end the overt exploitation of our laws and its impact on UK taxpayers.

“The Nationality and Borders Bill will make it a criminal offence to knowingly arrive in the UK illegally and introduce life sentences for those who facilitate illegal entry into the country.

"It will also strengthen the powers of Border Force to stop and redirect vessels, while introducing new powers to remove asylum seekers to have their claims processed outside the UK.”

This is the third day of asylum seekers crossing the Channel to the UK in small boats this year.

On Tuesday, January 4, a total 66 people, including a baby girl, were brought to Dover in two incidents.

It happened again last Monday when 96 people were brought to Dover on board vessels of the Border Force and the RNLI in the early hours in freezing temperatures.

More than 28,300 people crossed the Dover Strait aboard small boats in 2021, triple the number for 2020.

Over the last four years there has been a trend of asylum seekers trying to reach the UK by dangerously crossing the Channel in small boats.

Those rescued at sea have usually been brought to the Tug Haven for initial interviewing and processing.

Others have landed on beaches along the Kent coast including Thanet, Kingsdown near Deal, Folkestone and Romney Marsh.

They have continued undeterred despite, last November 24, 27 people drowned off Calais when their dinghy capsized.

The previous preferred method had been hiding in the backs of lorries coming from the Continent to England.

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