Three more migrant incidents, with 32 adults and four children, off Dover, says Home Office
11:51, 17 July 2019
updated: 15:06, 17 July 2019
A total 36 people including four children have been picked up in three migrants incidents today.
in all three cases Dover Coastguard contacted Border force concerning a vessel in the Channel near Dover.
The first alert was at 2.45am today and a Border Force cutter found a vessel with 14 people on board including 10 men, three women and a boy
The next callout was at 6.45am, a Border Force coastal patrol vessel intercepted a vessel with eight people included seven men and a boy.
They were transferred onto the CPV.
In both incidents all small vessel occupants presented themselves as Iranian nationals.
The third alert was at 8.10am and a Border Force cutter found a boat with 14 people including 10 men and four boys.
They were taken onto the cutter and presented themselves as Iranian, Iraqi, Pakistani and Afghan.
A Home Office spokesman said: "All individuals were brought to Dover, where they were medically assessed and found to be well, before being transferred to immigration officials for their cases to be dealt with."
This means there have been seven incidents involving a total 75 people on both sides of the Channel.
Yesterday morning the Border Force dealt with three small boat incidents, in which a total 38 people were encountered.
A total eight were found ashore at Dungeness and two groups of 12 and 18 had their vessels intercepted off the Sussex coast.
Meanwhile, also yesterday French authorities stopped a migrant trying to swim the Channel with fins and a buoy.
He was plucked from the water near Calais.
Kent Online has been following a trend of migrants trying to reach Britain by small vessels, such as dinghies and RHIBs (rigid-hulled inflatable boat) over the last year.
Since November 8 to today it has counted a a net total 95 incidents involving a total 843 people.
This figure covers people who have landed by themselves on our shores or who have been rescued mid-sea by British authorities and brought back here for interview and processing.
Incidents have occurred at Dover, the Deal area, Folkestone and Romney Marsh.
There is a gross figure of 123 cases from November 8 to today involving 900people in all.
These usually include situations where migrants have been stopped early on by French authorities and brought back to France.
Read more: All the latest news from Deal
Read more: All the latest news from Dover
Read more: All the latest news from Folkestone
Read more: All the latest news from Romney Marsh
