Two Border Force ships redeployed
TWO Border Force cutters will be called up to the Channel to tackle the migrant crisis.
The ships will be drafted into the Strait of Dover amid fears of a looming tragedy as asylum seekers continue to make the perilous crossing from France.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed the vessels will return from deployments abroad, thought to be in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. He said: “Given the current situation the right thing to do is to redeploy some of these assets.”
It came as 12 Iranian migrants including a child of 10 were held after their inflatable boat landed on a beach in Kent yesterday.
Under-fire Mr Javid discussed the crisis with senior officials yesterday after being forced to fly home early from a holiday HMC Vigilant in South Africa. He said: “We don’t want people to think that if they leave a safe country like France they can get to Britain and then get to stay.
“It’s about protecting human CRISIS Javid yesterday life but also about protecting our borders. When it comes to human life, clearly I want to make sure that we are doing all we can to protect people.
“We must remember that this is one of the most treacherous stretches of water that there is, 21 miles with people Dinghy Iranians crossed Channel in on Kent beach taking grave risk, putting their lives into their own hands by taking this journey.”
HMC Seeker, which has been stationed in Gibraltar, is one of the two 138ft, £4.3million, 257-tonne cutters joining their sister ship HMC Vigilant, which already patrols the UK coast along with two smaller boats.
A fourth cutter will stay in the Mediterranean as part of an EU effort to stem the flow of migrants to the continent.
Last year 539 migrants tried to travel to the UK on small boats – 434 of them, or 80%, in the last three months, the Home Office said.
About 230 tried to cross last month, but about half were stopped by French officials, Mr Javid said. He added: “It does require action on many fronts.”