Crisis meeting over rise in migrants crossing channel

British police yesterday picked up a group of 12 migrants found on a beach in southwestern England as top British officials met to discuss the increasing numbers of people attempting to cross the English Channel from France to England.

The British Government agency that oversees immigration said nine men, two women and a 10-year-old child were in the group, who reported being Iranian. The people received health checks and were turned over to immigration officials for interviews, the Home Office said.

A surge of Channel crossings in recent weeks prompted Home Secretary Sajid Javid to call a crisis meeting with top officials from Britain’s Border Force and National Crime Agency and senior government officials.

Javid said afterward that the Government planned to put two more Border Force ships on patrol in the English Channel to protect both the lives of migrants making the risky journey and Britain’s borders.

About 230 migrants tried to cross from northern France to southern England last month, he said.

Matthew Saltmarsh, a spokesman for the United Nations Refugee Agency, said UN officials were worried about an upturn in risky crossings by migrants.

“The winter conditions and use of flimsy vessels present significant dangers to asylum seekers attempting the crossing,” Saltmarsh said.