Migrant Boat Intercepted Near Dover After 999 Call

A small boat carrying 32 migrants was intercepted less than a mile from Dover after an individual onboard contacted emergency services.

Border Security Command vessels and lifeboats were dispatched shortly before 9 a.m. and located the dinghy off Shakespeare Beach, just outside Dover Harbour. Footage captured shows an RNLI lifeboat approaching the inflatable craft in misty conditions. All 32 migrants were brought to Dover and taken for processing.

The incident has reignited concerns about border security, particularly as the vessel approached the British shoreline without initial detection. This follows two recent incidents last month where boats made uncontrolled landings on Kent beaches, leading to an urgent review announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. In one case, 21 migrants were arrested after landing at Samphire Hoe, near Dover, and five others were arrested on a separate Kent beach the day prior.

Further along the coast in Hampshire, a landing of another group of migrants in Gosport on Sunday prompted protests. Approximately 150 migrants were brought ashore, while around 350 anti-migrant protesters demonstrated in the town. During the Gosport incident, 11 men and one woman were arrested for offenses including assaulting a police officer, possessing a pyrotechnic article, and obstructing an ambulance.

Separately, two coaches that anti-migrant activists claimed were being used to transport migrants were vandalized overnight at Rownhams Services on the M27 near Southampton. Vandals threw paving stones, punctured tires, and removed wing mirrors from the vehicles. Official confirmation that these coaches were used to carry migrants has not been provided.

The interception near Dover occurred during a period of increased activity, with nearly 1,300 small-boat migrants reaching Britain in a four-day span from Friday to Monday. This period saw 1,282 arrivals, surpassing the previous four-day high of 1,202 set in June. As of January 1, the total number of migrants reaching Britain by crossing the Channel illegally has exceeded 20,000. Unconfirmed arrivals were also reported on Tuesday.

Tragic events unfolded on Monday during departures from France, where two men died and two women were injured while attempting the crossing. French authorities reported that the men, aged in their 30s and 40s, died after leaving the coast at Berck overnight. The injured women were hospitalized with extensive burns.

A Home Office spokesperson stated that progress has been made in tackling small boat crossings, noting a significant decrease and the lowest number of summer arrivals since 2020. The department highlighted efforts to prevent crossing attempts, seizing boats and engines, and indicated plans to increase officers in France and address factors encouraging illegal routes.