Coastguard, UK Navy along with Kent County Police on Wednesday are carrying out a search and rescue operation after receiving information about the wreck of a boat carrying migrants in the English Channel, The Independent reports.
Around 80 migrants were rescued in the English Channel after the boat they were travelling in capsized off the Kent coast.
Border Force, coastguard and lifeboats arrived at the scene after the alarm was raised. No fatalities have been reported and it is not yet clear if anyone has been taken to hospital.
The Coastguard has also confirmed it has sent two helicopters to the scene and the RLNI has dispatched lifeboats. A spokeswoman said:
“HM Coastguard is co-ordinating the response to a small boat incident in the Channel this morning, June 6. Coastguard helicopters from Lydd and Lee-on-Solent and RNLI lifeboats have been sent.”
The RLNI also said:
“Dover RNLI all-weather lifeboat and Walmer inshore lifeboat were tasked by HM Coastguard to launch this morning to an incident in the English Channel.”
Surge in illegal migration
More than 125,000 migrants have arrived in the UK over the past six and a half years by crossing the Channel.
Since the government struck a deal to send migrants to Rwanda more than two years ago – which has since stalled due to legal challenges – more than 80,000 have made the journey.
Since Rishi Sunak, who promised to “stop the boats,” became prime minister, the number of migrants has approached 50,000 and the number of arrivals since the general election was announced has risen to 1,000.
The Home Office said 34 people had travelled on a single boat on Wednesday, bringing the total number of crossings for the year to 10,779. This is 42 per cent more than last year (7,610) and 8 per cent more than 2022 (9,984), according to a PA analysis of the data.
