Group of more than 20 migrants rescued in Channel

More than 20 migrants have been rescued in the English Channel by the Border Force.

Authorities were alerted to two small boats travelling towards the UK at around 8.30am on Monday, with a coastal patrol vessel and cutter deployed to intercept them.

The first boat was carrying 20 people, while the second was carrying eight individuals.

The group of Iraqi and Iranian nationals was made up of men, women and individuals claiming to be minors.

After being taken on board the Border Force vessels the migrants were taken to Dover, where they were assessed and found to be healthy.

They were then transferred to immigration officials to be interviewed.

It comes after French authorities rescued 22 migrants who got into trouble while trying to cross the Channel on Sunday.

The group, which included a woman and a child, was found roughly two miles off the coast of Dunkirk at about 1.30am.

Authorities were alerted to the migrants’ plight by a ferry just after midnight and sent out search and rescue teams.

They were safely recovered and taken back to Dunkirk on board the RIAS Bee Languedoc.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned migrants attempting the journey that “we will send you back“.

“Clearly the most important thing is to stop them coming across from France so we are working very closely with the French authorities,” he said.

“The point I would just make to people thinking of making this journey – one, it is very hazardous, you may think the weather looks great but it’s a very, very dangerous thing to do.

“The second thing is – we will send you back.

“The UK should not be regarded as a place where you could automatically come and break the law by seeking to arrive illegally.

“If you come illegally, you are an illegal migrant and I’m afraid the law will treat you as such.”

He was speaking after almost 100 people took to small boats to try and make the crossing from France to Britain in one day.

Authorities were called to at least seven incidents on Thursday involving 94 people who were trying to cross the water from France to get to the UK.

The attempted crossings continued on Friday.

The French coastguard said 24 migrants, reportedly including seven children and a woman, were found trying to cross the Channel.

Later that morning, a Border Force patrol boat intercepted a group of 11 people – nine men and two women who said they were nationals from Iran and Niger.

The Home Office said the group were taken to Dover and handed over to immigration officials.

(c) Sky News 2019: Group of more than 20 migrants rescued in Channel