Border Force and RNLI vessels rescue at least 100 migrants from small boats trying to cross the English Channel in rough seas after Rishi Sunak pledged to cut number of migrants entering UK
- People brought to safety at Dover harbour with more expected throughout day
- Strong winds in Channel caused rough seas – preventing crossings since Sunday
- New PM Rishi Sunak wants to cut migrant numbers to what ‘works best for UK’
- PM wants to meet 2019 Tory manifesto commitments to reduce net migration
At least 100 migrants were rescued from small boats trying to cross the English Channel in rough seas this morning.
People were brought into the safety of the harbour at Dover, Kent with more expected to be brought in throughout the day.
Around 40 came ashore from the Border Force vessel Volunteer.
It is understood the RNLI lifeboats from Dover, Ramsgate and Dungeness have also been involved in the operation today along with the Border Force vessels Typhoon and Ranger as well as the Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Explorer.
At least 100 migrants were rescued from small boats trying to cross the English Channel in rough seas this morning
Strong winds in the English Channel have caused rough seas – preventing crossings since Sunday.
Despite this, a number of dinghies still attempted to make the risky crossing today.
Groups could be seen coming ashore in blankets after their ordeal at sea.
528 people were detained on Sunday after making the treacherous voyage according to official Ministry of Defence figures taking the total number past 37,400 so far this year.
This comes as Rishi Sunak the other day vowed to cut the number of migrants coming to Britain with a system that ‘works best for the UK’.
Promising to stand by pledges made in the 2019 Conservative manifesto, Downing Street said the Prime Minister was ‘committed to ensuring we have control over our borders’.
Sunday’s arrivals takes the number to 37,493 in 921 boats so far this year according to government figures
Strong winds in the English Channel have caused rough seas – preventing crossings since Sunday. Despite this, a number of dinghies still attempted to make the risky crossing today
Mr Sunak will bring net migration down while ensuring that Britain has the necessary ‘skills and talents’, No 10 said.
The new PM’s official spokesman told reporters: ‘Meeting our manifesto commitments remains important – the PM has been clear on that – and that relates to net migration as well where we’ve said that it should come down.
‘He’s committed to ensuring we have control over our borders and the public rightly expects us to control immigration and have a system that works.’
The spokesman said he was ‘not aware’ of a specific target, but that Mr Sunak was committed to seeing migration fall.
Sunday’s arrivals takes the number to 37,493 in 921 boats so far this year according to government figures.
28,526 made the crossing in the whole of 2021 and 8,410 in 2020.
In October there have been 4,492 people rescued in 97 boats so far.
MP for Dover, Natalie Elphicke, has described the situation as ‘truly shocking’.
She said: ‘Alongside the brazen criminality of the people smugglers, it beggars belief that there is a free public bus from the migrant camps to the beach departure points.
‘It’s little wonder we are seeing record breaking arrivals coming through the illegal small boats crossings route.’
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