An urgent air and sea rescue is ongoing in the English Channel after a migrant boat encountered problems while approaching UK waters. One woman died when an overloaded dinghy suffered a “catastrophic deflation” in the middle of the journey, according to Kent Police—on a day when hundreds of migrants attempted to reach British shores.
The incident occurred just over 10 miles east of Dover. Border Force vessels, lifeboats from Dover and Walmer, and a Coastguard helicopter were all dispatched to the scene. One seriously injured migrant was airlifted to the Coastguard base in Dover, whose condition remains unknown.
The boat was one of two under escort by French border patrol ships Ridens and Minck. At the height of the rescue, dozens of migrants were pulled from the water. Lifeboats and Border Force vessels remain in the area as searches continue for anyone potentially lost at sea.
This comes after a record number of crossings over the weekend, with 1,097 people known to have reached England on Saturday, September 6th alone. Since the start of the week, at least 500 more have entered British waters, following the recent trend of new boats being launched from beaches around Calais, Dunkirk, and further south below Boulogne.
On her first full day in office, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood faced the challenge of smugglers continuing their operations, sending hundreds of migrants toward the UK—despite her declaring a tough new stance on illegal migration.
