Coastguard pulls 100 migrants including babies from rough seas in the early hours as desperate migrants use cover of darkness to make crossing to Britain despite 27 drowning in the Channel just over a week ago
- Dozens of migrants have been brought into the Port of Dover by Lifeboat
- Around 100 people including babies were found in the Channel on four Dinghies
- Coastguard Spotter plane had to be called in from Doncaster over reports of ‘torch flashing’ in the water
- Comes just a week after 27 people drowned in Channel after boat took on water
Dozens of migrants have been rescued from the English Channel amid rough seas and brought to Britain overnight.
Pictures show a Lifeboat and Border Force vessel at the Port of Dover helping them disembark to be screened at arrival gates.
Around 100 people including babies and small children are believed to have been pulled from just four dinghies.
Dozens of migrants have been rescued from the English Channel amid rough seas and brought to Britain overnight
Several small children were seen among those rescued this morning by an RNLI lifeboat
Pictures show a Lifeboat and Border Force vessel at the Port of Dover helping them disembark to be screened at arrival gates
The large number of arrivals comes despite the deaths of 27 people, including a pregnant woman, in the Channel last week after their small boat took on water.
The migrants’ dinghies are understood to have entered the water at the French commune of Gravelines, just south of Dunkirk, in the early hours this morning.
Reports suggest that a Coastguard Spotter plane was called in from Doncaster after being alerted to ‘torches flashes’ coming from boats in the Channel at around 2am.
An RNLI vessel is said to have found around 100 migrants on different vessels in choppy waters. They were taken onboard the lifeboat and brought in to Dover.
The migrants’ dinghies are understood to have entered the water at the French commune of Gravelines, just south of Dunkirk, in the early hours this morning
Poor weather conditions this morning have been hampering operations mostly through fog and a two-metre swirl.
It comes after 27 people, including seven women, one of whom was pregnant, and three children, perished when their boat capsized in the Channel on Wednesday.
At least 14 others have died attempting to make the journey this year.
The two sole survivors – an Iraqi and a Somalian – told police their poorly made dinghy was hit by a container ship, puncturing its thin rubber hull.
Five people have been arrested in France over the 27 deaths, including one man held overnight driving a German-registered vehicle packed with inflatable ribs, although there is ‘no provable link’ with the sinking, according to prosecutors, despite French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin insisting all were ‘directly linked’ to the drownings.
Reports suggest that a Coastguard Spotter plane was called in from Doncaster after being alerted to ‘torches flashes’ coming from boats in the Channel at around 2am
Those wanting to make their way to the UK are willing to pay thousands of pounds to people smugglers who can buy the vessels for a very small fraction of their takings.
It comes as furious Tories warned Emmanuel Macron’s ‘petulance’ could cost lives in the Channel after the French president lashed out at Boris Johnson and uninvited Priti Patel from a crisis summit.
Mr Macron delivered a furious rant after the PM sent him an open letter demanding action on the migrant flows, branding Mr Johnson ‘not serious’ during a press conference on a visit to Italy.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the president said the premier’s ‘mediocre’ proposals ‘don’t correspond at all’ with discussions the leaders had on Wednesday.
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