Mother-to-be rescued from migrant boat

A PREGNANT woman was among dozens of migrants rescued from the Channel yesterday.

The expectant mother was among 20 people in a small boat found taking on water near Dunkirk.

Two young children were among a separate group of 11 picked up off the coast of Calais after their engine failed.

All 31 were intercepted by the French authorities and taken to Calais.

Another group of 10 men and one woman, who claimed to be from Iran, were intercepted by lifeguards off Kent at 5.34am. They will be interviewed by immigration officials.

On Boxing Day, 49 people crossed the Channel in small boats, with 14 others intercepted and returned to France.

Since January, more than 125 migrants who entered the UK illegally by small boat have been returned to Europe, according to government figures.

David Wood, a former head of immigration enforcement at the Home Office, has blamed patrols of Border Force cutters, introduced by Sajid Javid when home secretary, for a massive rise in attempted crossings. He told The Times it has made the crossing “more attractive” because migrants “know they will be picked up and taken to the UK”.

A Home Office spokesman said: “We will always ensure we have the right resources … to keep our border secure.”