Child migrants seen arriving at Channel ports

AT LEAST three children were among a group of migrants brought ashore as the latest wave of boats crossing the Channel to the UK continued yesterday.

Officials were seen carrying the youngsters from lifeboats in Dover. The Coastguard had reportedly been alerted to more than 20 incidents, with the number of people arriving anticipated to reach a new one-day record.

Witnesses described a “steady stream” of boats arriving, with large numbers of people on board being handed over to immigration officers clad in masks and gloves.

The latest wave of incidents comes amid a bout of warm weather and calm waters.

On Monday, it emerged that hundreds of boats believed to have been used in past attempts are being stored at a high-security government compound.

Pictures showed the discarded dinghies and rowing boats, which were discovered piled on top of one another, at a warehouse storage facility on an industrial estate in the Whitfield area of the Kent port town.

The boats are stored to use as evidence in people-smuggler prosecutions, the Home Office said.

At least 2,800 migrants have crossed to the UK so far this year, analysis by the PA news agency shows.

Last week more than 350 people made the crossing, with 137 on Friday alone.

Despite agreeing to launch a Franco-British intelligence cell, it emerged that the countries are embroiled in a row on tactics used to tackle the crossings crisis – particular whether maritime law permits French authorities to intercept boats at sea and take them back to the Continent.

Earlier this month, Home Secretary Priti Patel said no new target date has been set for when the crossings would become an “infrequent phenomenon”.

Less than a year ago she vowed “urgent action” on the dangerous journeys, aiming for them to be virtually eradicated by spring this year.

Charities have repeatedly insisted that the only way to tackle the crossings is by committing to providing migrants with safe, legal routes of passage for those seeking sanctuary in the UK.

The Home Office has said migrants should be claiming asylum in the first safe European country they arrive in.