Migrant boats try to cross the Dover straits

BORDER Force and the French navy have been dealing with migrant boats trying to cross the Dover straits.

A total of 29 individuals were rescued, including people who said they were Iraqi, Iranian and Libyan nationals.

It comes after nearly 60 migrants were intercepted on Wednesday – including 23 on board a vessel that managed to land near Hastings,

East Sussex.

At about 1am yesterday morning, while temperatures at Dover were a chilly 7C, Border Force linked up with the SS Flamant patrol boat in the English Channel, the Home

Office said.

Thirteen migrants were found aboard a broken-down vessel and were taken back to France.

Later, at about 6.30am, Border Force intercepted an inflatable boat that was carrying 13 men and three women. They were brought to Dover “in line with established processes”, the Home Office said.

Once in Dover, they will be assessed for symptoms of Covid-19 and continuously monitored.

The continued crossings come after the first cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in migrant camps in northern France, where conditions and sanitation are poor.

Border Force officers have been provided with personal protective equipment, the Home Office said. Since January 2019 it is estimated at least 2,400 people have crossed the Channel illegally.