Border Force intercepts nine Iranian suspected illegal immigrants in Dover after they crossed the channel in an inflatable boat
- Approximately eight migrants have been intercepted trying to cross the Channel
- They were rescued from a small inflatable by Border Force just before 11.30am
- The patrol vessel Speedwell returned to the coastal waters to collect their boat
- It brings number of migrants stopped at Dover to nearly 280 in a matter of weeks
Border Force patrols have intercepted nine Iranian migrants in the English Channel today.
Officials were alerted to a small boat travelling across the Channel towards the British coastline at around 8am this morning, with a coastal patrol vessel deployed to intercept the vessel.
The Border Force patrol boat Speedwell was seen returning to port in Dover at around 11am and nine migrants were seen disembarking in the custody of Home Office personnel.
The patrol boat then returned to sea having ensured the safety of the migrants, and picked up the inflatable craft on which they had attempted the crossing, towing that back to the port as well.
A Home Office spokesman said: 'The boat was carrying a group of nine men who were transferred onto the Border Force vessel. They have all presented themselves as Iranian nationals.
Migrants were escorted from the Speedwell onto the Dauntless and then onto land
The Border force patrol vessel rescued the would-be migrants in the Channel shortly before 12
The ship then returned to sea to collect their boat, pictured above MailOnline understands
'The men were taken to Dover, where they were medically assessed and found to be well, before being transferred to immigration officials to be interviewed.'
It bring the total number of migrants stopped trying to enter Britain from the Continent to close to 280 since a wave of such efforts began in mid August.
It comes after a spate of crossings in recent weeks, believed to have been prompted by calm summer seas and the impending Brexit deadline which has spread rumours in migrant camps that Britain will be harder to enter come the autumn.
On August 31 a fleet of dinghies carrying scores of suspected illegal migrants was intercepted on its way to the Kent coast.
In all, 66 people were detained and being dealt with by immigration officers.
Some had been aboard vessels which were intercepted by Border Force officials while others were detained after managing to make it ashore.
One incident on the day saw a boat carrying 27 adults and eight children intercepted. At the same time, another vessel carrying 16 people was escorted to Dover.
One group aboard a dinghy came ashore on the beach at Kingsdown, three miles south of the town of Deal.
Its eight male occupants – all Iranian – were detained by police and handed over to immigration officers.
Migrants aboard other vessels included Iraqi, Syrian and Kuwaiti nationals.
Two women seen being processed by officials at Dover on August 31 when 66 migrants were intercepted by Border Force immigration officialsl
As of August 31, more than 270 migrants, including at least 40 children, had been intercepted by UK and French authorities in ten days
As of today close to 280 migrants, including at least 40 children, have been intercepted by UK and French authorities since mid-August.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said last month that urgent action was needed to tackle the Channel’s migrant crisis, adding that plans were being drawn up ‘immediately’ to deal with the problem.
Her comments came after a meeting with French interior minister Christophe Castaner in Paris, during which the pair agreed to allocate more resources to intercept and stop the wave of crossings.
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