Urgent Review After Migrant Boats Reach Kent Beaches Unintercepted
Home Secretary orders review following two landings in as many days, with 26 individuals detained.
An urgent review has been ordered by the Home Secretary after two migrant boats arrived on beaches in Kent without being intercepted at sea. Shabana Mahmood directed the Border Security Command to carry out the review after vessels landed at Samphire Hoe, between Dover and Folkestone, on Tuesday, and near Folkestone on Monday.
Twenty-one people were detained on Tuesday following the arrival at Samphire Hoe. Five people were also detained on Monday after the landing near Folkestone, marking the first unescorted landing in a year. The Home Office has not confirmed if additional individuals are being sought.
"Border Security Command officers alongside Kent Police have been responding to an incident in Dover," a government spokesperson stated. "Twenty-one individuals have already been detained under a swift enforcement response. There is a thorough investigation ongoing and it would be inappropriate to comment further." Officials confirmed that those detained were taken to Western Jet Foil for processing.
Migrants crossing the Channel are typically brought ashore by Border Security Command or RNLI boats. Prior to Monday, no small boats had been officially recorded as arriving in the UK without an escort since September 6, 2025. This year, 17,480 migrants have arrived in the UK by boat after crossing the Channel, a figure that includes 5,011 arrivals since Prime Minister Andy Burnham took office. The total for 2026 to date is down 46% compared to the same period last year.