Migrant flashes ‘V for Victory’ sign as baby and young children are among nearly 80 latest arrivals in Dover Home Office spends £5,000 a day to put them up in three-star hotel closed to the public
- Around 25 men were picked up by Border Force at around 8am today near Dover
- Second group also arrived at the marina today with young children on board
- Yesterday, officials detained 44 people making the crossing in a single vessel
- Home Office commandeered hotel to secure extra accommodation for migrants
- Record-breaking year for numbers making crossing to UK as figure nears 10,000
A migrant was seen flashing a ‘V for Victory’ sign as he arrived in Dover alongside dozens of others including babies and young children – with the Home Office spending £5,000 a day to put up new arrivals in a three-star hotel.
Around 25 men, mainly from the Middle East in their late teens or early 20s, were picked up by Border Force at around 8am today before being brought into the port.
The group were seen wearing coats and hoodies after making the perilous 21-mile journey – with some carrying their possessions in camouflage-patterned rucksacks and another young man using a walking stick to make his way up the gangway.
A second group of around 25 migrants, which included babies and young children, also arrived at the marina at around 11.30am today.
An Immigration Enforcement officer held a baby wrapped in a light blue blanket in front of her while a male officer carried a young girl in his arms.
A male migrant could be seen carrying his young daughter up the gangway for processing as a young boy aged around five who hesitantly approached the processing tent.
It is believed they were brought in after being picked up off the Kent coast by Border Force catamaran Hurricane and transferred onto Speedwell.
The RNLI’s Dover Lifeboat also docked around noon and dropped off the approximate 35 migrants who were rescued from a red RHIB off Capel-le-Ferne. It had been tasked by Dover Coastguard to help rescue them with small Border Force RHIB Artemis.
Around 80 migrants are estimated to have arrived on UK shores so far today, according to onlookers.
It comes after the Home Office commandeered a three-star venue on the south coast to secure extra accommodation for the record numbers of asylum-seekers crossing the Channel in dinghies – at a cost of £5,000 a day.
Dozens of migrants have arrvied in Dover already today including a group of babies and young children
One migrant was seen flashing a ‘V for Victory’ sign as he arrived in Dover at around 8am today
A second group of around 25 migrants, which included babies and young children, also arrived at the marina at around 11.30am today
Around 25 men, mainly from the Middle East in their late teens or early 20s, were picked up by Border Force at around 8am today before being brought into the port
Other small boats are believed to currently be in the Dover Strait with Speedwell heading back to the Marina after potentially picking up more migrants.
The Dover Lifeboat has also been tasked to rescue a red rigid hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) off Capel-le-Ferne with around 35 migrants onboard.
Border Force’s catamaran Hurricane has also been operating off Dungeness.
The Home Office is yet to confirm exactly how many migrants have made the treacherous trip so far today.
Yesterday, officials detained 44 people making the crossing in a single vessel for the first time in a week as people smugglers took advantage of a break in bad weather.
The group sporting blankets and red lifejackets, mainly consisting of men appearing to be from Africa, were brought in on search and rescue cutter Speedwell.
The group were seen wearing coats and hoodies as they arrived in Dover after making the perilous 21-mile journey
Some were thought to be carrying their possessions in rucksacks as they made their way up the gangway
Around 25 men were picked up by Border Force at around 8am today before being brought into the port
One young man who arrived earlier today required a walking stick (left) to make his way up the gangway
It comes after the Home Office blockbooked The Oyo Stade Court hotel, on the seafront in Hythe, for 68 days at a cost of £5,000 a day, according to the BBC.
It is thought that the occupants are all young men.
Some were spotted leaving the hotel earlier today as others sat on their balconies.
More than 9,450 people have crossed the Channel so far this year on board small boats despite the dangerous journey claiming lives in the past.
It is a record-breaking year for migrants crossing to the UK – despite vows from the Home Office to make the route ‘unviable’.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said last week: ‘The British public should be in no doubt of our unwavering determination to stop these dangerous crossings from safe EU countries and take down the evil criminal gangs behind them.
‘We are utilising all aspects of Government to tackle this issue and our significant actions are having an impact.
It is a record-breaking year for migrants crossing to the UK – despite vows from the Home Office to make the route ‘unviable’
The Home Office commandeered a three-star venue on the south coast to secure extra accommodation for the record numbers of asylum-seekers – at a cost of £5,000 a day
‘French authorities have already prevented over 7,500 migrants entering the UK this year – nearly treble the number for the same period in 2020 – and earlier this week we signed a strengthened agreement to increase police patrols on French beaches, improve surveillance technology and enhance intelligence sharing.
‘Since the start of 2020, we have secured more than 65 small boat related prosecutions, totalling over 53 years in jail. This is the result of extensive collaborative upstream operational work taking place with our law enforcement and intelligence partners.
‘This week, we also saw the landmark Nationality and Borders Bill proceed through Parliament, which will reform the system to make people think again before attempting to enter this country illegally and break the business model of people smugglers.’
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