British rescue vessels collected the passengers of the migrant dinghy on Tuesday and, after the boat entered Dover’s waters shortly after 12.30 am on Wednesday, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency confirmed they were transferred to the Border Security Command for processing.
The French coastguard had earlier reported that around 60 migrants were on a small boat that had been at sea for over 33 hours in “precarious conditions” and had refused help, saying they were “determined to take all risks to reach the United Kingdom.” The vessel, which left the Normandy coast near Vierville‑sur‑Mer on Monday morning, was shadowed by a French coastguard ship throughout its journey.
A government spokesperson reiterated that the Border Security Command works “around the clock to protect our border” and will continue to detain, check and process every small‑boat arrival. Defence Minister Luke Pollard later told LBC Radio that the government had not lost control of the border and that an investigation by the Home Office was under way to determine how the boat arrived undetected.
In Gosport, Hampshire, hundreds of anti‑migrant protesters gathered after reports that the migrants might be disembarked locally. Police blocked access to Haslar Marina, and six people were arrested on Tuesday evening on charges including careless driving, assaulting an emergency worker and aggravated trespass after some demonstrators became hostile toward officers.
The arrival adds to a year‑long surge in Channel crossings, with 17,480 migrants arriving by boat so far this year, including 5,011 since Prime Minister Andy Burnham took office. Undetected small‑boat landings have not been recorded since September 2022, making this incident a rare breach of the UK’s coastal surveillance.