Dozens of migrants have been intercepted crossing the English Channel in small boats today amid calm seas despite murky conditions on Christmas Day.
People smugglers took advantage of gentle waters for the first time in two weeks as inflatables took to the water overnight.
It is the first crossing since December 14, when 160 people in three dinghies were picked up by Britain’s coastguard and border force.
Storms and strong winds had whipped up The Channel, making crossings impossible until today.
But several boats were seen making the dangerous journey from France early this morning, with more expected to follow over the course of the day.
The Border Force vessels Ranger and the small boat recovery ship Tacu as well as the French rescue ship Abeille Normandie could be seen positioned mid-Channel north of Normandy.
The Border Force Volunteer was also positioned in the middle of the Dover Strait of Calais while the Border Force Hunter was seen returning to the Port of Dover, according to the shipping website Marine Traffic.
Groups were brought ashore at the Port of Dover in Kent before dawn today on a Border Force vessel.
The Border Force Volunteer is seen towing a migrant craft
BF Volunteer is seen approaching a migrant craft in the Channel
BF Hurricane departs from Dover
Before dawn, dozens of migrants, mainly men, were seen being escorted up the gangway to the immigration processing centre at the former jetfoil terminal at the Western Docks.
A total of 35,040 migrants in 657 boats have made the crossing so far this year.
Some 21,466 have been intercepted since Labour came to power in July.
The figure is considerably lower than the record high in 2022, when 45,774 people made the crossing.
But more than 60 people are known to have died this year – the deadliest year on record.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has acknowledged that it would be ‘no comfort’ to the public if numbers continued to remain at high levels.
Sir Keir Starmer has made ‘smashing the gangs’ who facilitate the small boats crossings one of his top priorities since Labour came to power.
As part of this work, the Prime Minister has set up a new Border Security Command, and is attempting to work more closely with the UK’s European neighbours to pull apart organised crime gangs involved in people smuggling.
BF Volunteer approaches a migrant craft in the Channel early this morning
A total of 35,040 migrants in 657 boats have made the crossing so far this year
A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.
‘The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay. We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.’
Earlier this month, the Home Secretary told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that, while the number of asylum seekers entering Britain via boat is too high, she is wary of giving herself a deadline to solve the problem.
She said: ‘These levels are far too high, this is dangerous what’s happening.
‘Of course we want to continue to progress, of course we want to see the boat crossings come down as rapidly as possible.’
She added that she is also wary of adding herself to the list of home secretaries that make pledges on migration that they invariably fail to keep.
The Home Secretary also pushed back on claims that migration has fallen down the Government’s list of priorities.
She said: ‘We have made clear border security… is one of the foundations. We have made it clear we need to reduce both legal migration and illegal migration, it is a clear priority for the government in terms of tackling these dangerous boat crossings.’
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk