Dozens of migrants manged to cross the Channel yesterday despite the freezing cold conditions.
Five children including a baby without socks or shoes were among the migrants who landed on the Kent coast on Monday morning in temperatures of 1C or less. A family of four were also among arrivals in Dover after making the perilous journey across the English Channel.
Pictures were taken showing the children arriving aboard Border Force vessels. Some of the children did not have shoes or even socks, despite the cold weather. The youngsters, some too young to walk, were visibly suffering from the temperatures as they were brought ashore and were wrapped in blankets and life jackets.
once migrants are on the water they cannot currently be stopped heading for Britain
French authorities are refusing to intercept migrants boats heading for Britain once they are in the English Channel. This is despite a £28 million deal Home Secretary Priti Patel recently signed with her French counterpart, aimed at curbing the number of migrants reaching the UK in small boats.
Immigration Compliance Minister Chris Philp admitted that the deal would not affect migrants who manage to get their often ramshackle vessels into the water because of the French ‘operational posture’.
Mr Philp said ‘The French operational posture on the water is that they don’t forcibly intercept migrant boats. They will rescue them if they start sinking and if migrants request assistance. But they do not currently forcibly intercept migrant boats while in French waters.’ So that was a great way to spend £28 million.
The French have apparently ‘stepped up enormously in the last few months’ with activity on land, with 90 per cent of crossings intercepted last week. How would they know this, unless they are aware of the 10% that made it into boats? Great deal you got there, Priti!
