Page 2 - Dover Docks News Today

Last year, none of the Border Force ships or vessels owned by the government were used to deal with small boat incidents, Home Office officials admitted.

A total of 124 migrants made the dangerous crossing across the choppy waters, the Home Office has confirmed.

As another 388 migrants arrived here illegally over the weekend, a Russian lorry driver was starting a prison sentence for helping foreign nationals leave Britain. Yes, you did read that correctly.

Home Office figures show more than 300 people made the journey at the weekend. This takes the provisional total for 2024 to 1,057. Figures are tracking higher than at the same time last year.

Nikolai Kuznetsov, 39, was found last August by UK Border Force officers at Dover docks to be carrying 22 migrants, all of North African origin, in his trailer, including the girl and her parents.

The migrants, all of North African origin, were attempting to avoid French border immigration controls

French emergency services found the body of an Eritrean male aged around 17 to 18 years of age who drowned crossing the English Channel.

Nine boats have been intercepted carrying a total of 537 migrants crossing the English Channel, according to the latest Home Office figures.

The ages of 23 migrants claiming to be children were assessed - and of these 15 were found to actually be adults. MP for Dover Natalie Elphicke warned urgent action is needed for age checks.

This is despite UK taxpayers funding Rishi Sunaks £480million deal with Emmanuel Macron in a bid to stop the crossings. The Prime Minister struck a three-year deal with the French President in March.