New pictures reveal the desperation felt by families risking their lives in order to escape the horrors of their home countries and give their children a chance at safety.
A record number of migrants have crossed the English Channel this year, having journeyed from France to England by sea. Last Wednesday, 27 boats took at least 409 people to Dover. This weekend, 21 migrants made it to the UK.
The latest arrivals take the number of people who have made the treacherous journey this year up to 5,607.
On Sunday, another group of six migrants had to be rescued from an inflatable boat after suffering engine failure off Calais.
Five men and one woman were picked up by coastal maritime surveillance cruiser Escaut and returned to border police at Boulogne-sur-Mer at 2.50pm.
No successful crossings were recorded on Saturday as far-right protestors clashed with police in Dover in reaction to a pro-migrant demonstration being held in the Kent town.
Today, police said six men have been charged following the anti-migration protests. All six, aged between 28 and 51, have been bailed to appear at court at a later date.
Photographs show the crossings have continued today, with distressed parents seen without life jackets holding their children up as water fills their orange dinghy. Others use small plastic buckets to try to keep the water from pulling the boat under.
In many of the pictures, parts of the orange band of the boat is not visible because it is completely submerged.
Other pictures show boats intercepted by border force ships pulling migrants on board after handing out face masks and blankets, helping to lift children on board first.
Border force use their dinghies to transport smaller, safe groups of migrants in Covid-19 protective gear – like masks and gloves.
Clandestine Channel Threat Commander Dan O’Mahoney – appointed last month by Home Secretary Priti Patel to make the Channel ‘unviable’ for small boat crossings – said: ‘These crossings are facilitated by criminals willing to risk people’s lives for money.
‘France is a safe country with a fully functioning asylum system – those seeking refuge can and should claim asylum there.
‘I am working with my counterparts in France daily to make this route totally unviable, with more migrants prevented from leaving the French coastline today.
‘We continue to return those who do not have a legitimate asylum claim despite barriers to removals under the Dublin Regulations and legal challenges.’
Last week Immigration Services Union officer Lucy Moreton told the Times that traffickers are using the UK’s threat of closing the Channel crossing down to pack more people onto boats.
She said: ‘People are being told: get there while you can.’
Although the UK has seen over 5,000 migrants arrive in boats this year the UK hosts very few of the world’s refugees.
Source: Amnesty International and The World Bank
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