Great-grandmother, 94, rescued after becoming oldest migrant ever to attempt Channel crossing

Great-grandmother, 94, is rescued and brought ashore at Dover after becoming the oldest migrant ever to attempt a dangerous Channel crossing

• The woman made 21-mile trip to be reunited with family who had already arrived
• She was taken into the care of social services after being brought to shore in UK
• But it is thought she may not be deported back to France due to her age

By Raven Saunt For Mailonline

Published: 01:54 BST, 23 August 2020 | Updated: 01:55 BST, 23 August 2020

A great-grandmother has been rescued and brought ashore at Dover after becoming the oldest migrant ever to attempt a dangerous Channel crossing.

The 94-year-old made the 21-mile journey from France in order to be reunited with her family who had already arrived in the UK. 

She has sought asylum in the country but faces being deported along with the others who had made the crossing with her in a small boat.

A great-grandmother has been rescued and brought ashore at Dover after becoming the oldest migrant ever to attempt a dangerous Channel crossing. Pictured: Migrants arriving at Dover earlier this week

However it is thought she may be allowed to stay due to her age. 

It is believed that the woman was taken into the care of social services after being brought to shore.

It is not yet clear how far away from the Kent coastline the vessel was when it was intercepted by authorities.

She has sought asylum in the country but faces being deported along with the others who had made the crossing with her in the groups’ small boat. Pictured: Migrants arriving at Dover earlier this week

It comes as nearly 5,000 migrants are said to have now attempted the journey this year alone.

Most of the trips have been orchestrated by organised crime groups with many vessels being unfit for purpose.

Last week Sudanese migrant Abdulfatah Hamdallah, 28, died after trying to paddle from Calais to the UK in a ‘toy dinghy’.  

A quarter of ‘child’ migrants crossing the Channel are found to be over 18, says Kent County Council 

A quarter of ‘child’ migrants and refugees crossing the Channel are found to be over 18, according to Kent County Council.

Age assessments carried out by social workers have found that 25 per cent of unaccompanied migrants are in fact older than they claimed to be.

Many lie about their ages in the belief that they will receive preferential treatment if deemed to be children by immigration authorities in the UK. 

A quarter of ‘child’ migrants and refugees crossing the Channel are found to be over 18, according to Kent County Council. Pictured: Dinghies, believed to have been used by migrants, stored in a Port Authority yard in Dover

Figures show that of the 1,668 who claimed to be children after arriving in Kent over the past five years more than 400 were later assessed as adults, according to the Telegraph.     

A source at Kent County Council told the publication: ‘Following age assessment around 25 per cent are assessed as being 18 or over. 

‘They will then almost definitely appeal this through the courts and KCC pays all of the legal fees.’

Kent is currently responsible for 602 under 18-year-olds who have been detained after crossing the Channel. Pictured: Border Force Officers bringing a group of migrants ashore

But some refugee campaign groups dispute the figures and instead have criticised the assessment process as being ‘arbitrary and unscientific’.

Kent is currently responsible for 602 under 18-year-olds who have been detained after crossing the Channel.

Many have been placed into foster care with the cost of looking after the ‘unaccompanied minors’ is costing Kent’s council tax payers £200,000 a month.    

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