Four migrants are rescued trying to paddle across English Channel on two WINDSURF boards with shovels for oars
- Last week a record 166 migrants arrived at the Dover coast in Kent on boats
- At least 1,896 migrants have cross this year compared to around 1,850 last year
- Four migrants today rescued as they tried to cross Channel on windsurf boards
Four migrants were rescued in the Channel today after they tried to paddle from France on two windsurf boards tied together with rope.
The group, who were picked up by a French patrol boat at 6.35am after attempting the crossing in a make-shift vessel, had used shovels as oars.
They were picked up around three-miles from the Calais coast after being spotted in difficulty by the crew of cross-channel ferry Dunkirk Seaways.
A Prefecture de Maritime spokesman said: ‘Arriving in the area at 6.45am the VCSM Escaut took charge of the four shipwrecked people and their boats in tow.
Four migrants were rescued by French authorities in the Channel today after they tried to paddle from France on two windsurf boards tied together with rope
‘They were actually two interconnected “windsurfing” boards, which they tried to propel with shovels as oars.’
The four men were taken to Dunkirk suffering from mild hypothermia, where they were taken in by the border police.
Dozens of migrants have today made it to Britain on three small boats – meaning more than 1,900 have crossed the Channel this year alone.
Around 14 are thought to have been crammed on to one boat, with the Border Force meeting two other vessels off the Kent coast today.
Pictured: Migrants being brought into the UK today after crossing the Channel into Dover
The Border Force are pictured speaking to migrants who arrived in Dover, Kent, this morning
The incident – only the second migrant crossing so far in June – comes a week after 166 arrived in eight boats, a record for a single day.
So far this year at least 1,896 migrants have made it to the UK in rigid-hulled inflatable boats – smashing the 1,850-odd who arrived throughout the whole of 2019.
The group of migrants were this morning pictured being brought into the Port of Dover in Kent by the Border Force vessel Speedwell.
The Coastguard said a search and rescue operation is underway and that it is working with police and Border Force.
Clear skies and calm seas provided perfect conditions for the refugees to sail over the Channel.
Pictured: Migrants are brought ashore this morning in Dover, Kent, this morning
A Coastguard spokeswoman said today: ‘HM Coastguard has been coordinating a search and rescue response to incidents off Kent, working with Border Force, Kent Police and other partners.
‘We are committed to safeguarding life around the seas and coastal areas of this country.
‘HM Coastguard is only concerned with preservation of life, rescuing those in trouble and bringing them safely back to shore, where they will be handed over to the relevant partner emergency services or authorities.’
The latest crossings will nudge this year’s tally closer to the 2,000 mark. Of the figure, 1,525 have illegally made it to Britain since lockdown began in March. Last month 741 reached the UK – a record for a single month.
The staggering milestone is a body blow to Home Secretary Priti Patel, who has repeatedly vowed to clamp down on crossings since taking up her post last year.
The Home Office has pumped millions of pounds into security measures to prevent migrant crossings from France, funding drones to patrol the country’s coastline – but the crisis has continued to worsen.