Thirty-four migrants, in four different vessels, were picked up in the space of eight hours overnight trying to make the crossing from France to the UK.
It brings the total number of people caught trying to come into the UK illegally over the Christmas period to nearly 80.
Immigration minister Caroline Nokes blamed illegal people smugglers for some of the recent dangerous crossings, adding that British and French police were 'working together 24 hours a day' and the National Crime Agency (NCA) was working to 'stop people smuggling at source'.
But Conservative MP for Dover, Charlie Elphicke, called on the Home Office and NCA to get more involved, demanding authorities 'get a grip' and step up patrols by cutters in the Channel.
- At around half past midnight, nine migrants including three children, were detained near Battery Point near Sandgate in Kent after crossing the English Channel in a dinghy.
- At 1.45am French authorities stopped a boat contain 11 would-be migrants in a small boat off Sangatte in northern France, and returned the passengers to Boulogne.
- At 8.30am a small inflatable craft containing six adult male migrants was met by UK Border Force officers on Shakespeare Beach in Dover.
- And at 8.45 eight men in a dinghy off the coast of Dover were stopped by immigration officers.
- All 23 migrants now on British soil are Iranian.
The French Patrolman of Gendarmerie boat, the Athos, rescued 11 migrants 15 miles off Calais at 1.45am
The migrants' dinghy was spotted by passenger ships in French waters around midnight
RNLI Lifeboats were scrambled at 12.30am today to reports that a small RHIB (rigid-hulled inflatable boat) was in the water off the coast of Folkestone.
A coastguard helicopter from Lydd in Kent illuminated the scene by searchlight helping RNLI volunteers from Littlestone lifeboat station find the 13ft boat, which by the time they arrived was ashore at Sandgate, just west of Folkestone.
Charlie Davies, operations manager of RNLI Littlestone, told MailOnline that his crew found the dinghy on the beach, adding: 'The persons on the rib had gone ashore, and were apprehended by Border Force and Kent Police'.
Initial reports had suggested that there were 11 people on board, but the Home Office confirmed they attended to nine Iranian migrants - five adult males, one adult female, two male minors, and one female minor - who are being processed in line with immigration rules.
Each of the migrants have been given a medical assessment and transferred to immigration officials for interview - in the case of the adults - or into the care of social services.
Nearly eighty migrants on ten boats and dinghies have tried to cross from France since Christmas morning
The beach at Sandgate, where the migrants came ashore at around 2am this morning
Eleven migrants were rescued by French authorities in a small boat which was spotted by passenger ships in French waters off Calais around midnight.
The French coastal authority, the Maritime Prefecture of the English Channel and North Sea, said a Patrolman of Gendarmerie (PCG) boat, the Athos, was sent to rescue the migrants.
She located their semi-rigid boat 15 nautical miles north west of Calais.
The Athos recovered eleven adults - including five in a state of hypothermia - at 1:45am and returned all aboard to Boulogne for treatment and processing.
Six Iranian men who landed on Shakespeare Beach in Dover in a RHIB were met by Border Force officials from the Home Office at 8.30am. They have been given a medical assessment and transferred to immigration officials for interview.
And just fifteen minutes later in the waters off Dover, a RHIB was identified containing 8 Iranian migrants, all adult males, which was intercepted and brought in to port.
Each migrant has been given a medical assessment and transferred to immigration officials for interview.
Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes blamed people traffickers for some of the recent crossings
Dover MP Charlie Elphicke demanded that authorities get a grip on the situation and increase patrols
In a statement, Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes said: 'The number of incidents over recent days is deeply concerning. Some of this is clearly facilitated by organised crime groups while other attempts appear to be opportunistic.
'We are in close and continual contact with the French authorities and law enforcement partners including through the new UK-France Coordination and Information Centre which opened in Calais at the end of last month to tackle criminality at the border.
'Attempting to cross the Channel in this way is extremely dangerous and they are putting their lives at risk.
'People should also be in no doubt that Border Force and the Police Aux Frontieres are working together 24 hours a day to prevent attempts, protect life and prosecute offenders.
'At the same time the UK's NCA-led Organised Immigration Taskforce is working to stop people smuggling at source.'
Charlie Elphicke, Conservative MP for Dover, has demanded that authorities 'get a grip' on Christmas crossings asking why the National Crime Agency - often called Britain's FBI - did not seem to be more involved.
He said: 'With well over 100 migrants having broken into Britain in recent weeks the [Home Office and NCA] need urgently to explain what they are doing to put a stop to these crossings.
'This is an incredibly dangerous crossing to make in the middle of winter. Our volunteer lifeboat crews are being called out nearly every day.
'The British and French authorities must get a grip and find and stop the traffickers... before there is a tragedy.'
He added: 'It's time the Home Office took this problem more seriously and stepped up resources along the Kent coast – with more cutters and patrol craft.
'We need to see more investment in stronger borders, all the way along our coast.
'We are seeing a big increase in numbers as Iranian migrants are paying vast sums to people traffickers to get them across the Channel.
'The criminal gangs behind this need to be caught and brought to justice before these craft leave the French coast.'
On Christmas Day French authorities intercepted this rubber dinghy (pictured) off the coast of Calais carrying nine migrants after the engine on their boat failed in an bid to cross the Channel
Two days ago, on Christmas Day, 40 migrants were rescued in the Channel as they tried to reach the UK.
A further five people presented themselves at Dover police station on Christmas Day, saying they were Iranian and had arrived by boat, which police found later.
And three more would-be migrants were picked up from a small boat off the coast of Dover just after midnight on Boxing Day.
Yesterday the Home Office confirmed three people men were picked up from a small boat off the coast of Dover just after midnight.
They claimed to be Iranian and had been rescued by French authorities and then handed over to Border Force agents.
The trio were due to be interviewed by immigration officials yesterday, joining five groups of people including children taken into custody on Christmas Day.
A total of 40 migrants were taken into custody by British officials on Christmas Day
One boat carrying nine people suffered an engine failure shortly after leaving France. Fortunately the migrants were rescued by French authorities.
The Home Office confirmed that five groups of migrants, mostly Iraqi, Iranian and Afghani, arrived in the country on December 25.
One group of eight migrants, including a young girl arrived in Folkestone, Kent at around 2.40am.
Border Force officials spotted a dinghy off the coast of Deal, Kent shortly before 7am carrying 13 people including a child.
A Border Force cutter was sent to the Channel to intercept a dingy carrying seven men and a woman at around 5.50am.
The migrants were offered medical attention before being interviewed by immigration officials.
Officials said the children will be placed in the care of social services.
Sources told the Daily Telegraph it was believed trafficking gangs were hoping to capitalise on an expected drop in the number of border patrols taking place over the Christmas period.
In another incident in French waters, nine migrants were rescued and are now in the UK after the engine of the vessel they were travelling in failed.
They have been transferred to the Coastguard to be assessed.
Border Force officials were assisted by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency after being called to an incident in the Channel before 9.20am on December 25 involving two people in a small boat travelling towards the UK. All 40 people are now in the UK, the Home Office said.
Pictured: French authorities rescuing a boat containing nine migrants in the Channel on Christmas Day
Criminal gangs have been smuggling migrants across the Channel in dinghies such as this Zodiac, pictured earlier this month in Dover, Kent. Six people made it into the UK in this boat
A spokeswoman said: 'Border Force has intercepted a number of boats containing migrants attempting to cross the Channel overnight and this morning, and has deployed resources to deal with these incidents.
'The evidence shows there is organised criminal gang activity behind illegal migration attempts by small boats across the Channel.
'We are working closely with the French and law enforcement partners to target these gangs, who exploit vulnerable people and put lives at risk.'
The Christmas Day crossings follow a number of migrant rescues in recent months involving people trying to travel across the Channel to Britain. One group of migrants was found in a rowing boat about two miles from Dover.
In a statement, HM Coastguard said: '[We are] committed to safeguarding life around the seas and coastal areas of this country.
'We are only concerned with preservation of life, rescuing those in trouble and bringing them safely back to shore, where they will be handed over to the relevant partner emergency services or authorities.'
This map, produced by MailOnline in early December, showed the location more than 150 would-migrants had been picked up over the previous six weeks
It comes as more than 150 migrants have been plucked from the English Channel trying to reach Britain since the start of November.
Most of those held by police crossing the world's busiest shipping lane from France since November have claimed to be Iranian.
It emerged last month that people smugglers are charging migrants up to £13,000 each to cross the Channel by inflatable dinghy.
One family of would-be asylum seekers was charged £40,000 for the dangerous night-time sea crossing.
So-called 'agents' have already charged families to reach the French coast. Many fly from Iran to countries such as Serbia or Turkey, before being smuggled across borders to make overland journeys across Europe.
People traffickers then demand a further fee to get them to British soil. Individuals pay as much as £13,300 a head (15,000 euros) to board rubber dinghies for the freezing night journey.
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/12/27/34-migrants-are-caught-in-channel-within-eight-hours-sparking-calls-to-clamp-down/
Main photo article Thirty-four migrants, in four different vessels, were picked up in the space of eight hours overnight trying to make the crossing from France to the UK.
It brings the total number of people caught trying to come into the UK illegally over the Christmas period to nearly 80.
Immigration minister ...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/27/12/7865658-0-image-a-16_1545914761806.jpg
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