Last ditch dash for Britain’s shores: Border Force catch migrants making desperate Channel crossing in freezing winds on day UK’s transition period ends
- Pictures show migrants being taken ashore in Dover after being intercepted
- The asylum seekers were spotted attempting to cross the Channel earlier today
- It comes as the Brexit transition period ends tonight, with a trade deal in place
Border Force officials have today rescued migrants making a desperate bid to cross the Channel in freezing winds – hours before the UK’s Brexit transition period ends.
Pictures show the asylum seekers being led ashore by Border Force officials in Dover after being intercepted in the English Channel this morning.
It come as Britain’s transition period ends tonight, with a new trade deal with the EU coming into force from 11pm.
Minor changes will be introduced on asylum seekers as a result, though they will result in little practical change at this point.
Border Force officials have today rescued migrants making a desperate bid to cross the Channel in freezing winds – hours before the UK’s Brexit transition period ends
Pictures show the asylum seekers being led ashore by Border Force officials in Dover after being intercepted in the English Channel this morning
Earlier this month Britain introduced a new law – coming in from tonight – meaning it will no longer accept asylum seeker claims at sea when intercepted by Border Force officials.
But it will not have a practical affect until an agreement is reached with France on how to handle asylum seekers once they are brought ashore.
Meanwhile, Britain will leave the Dublin III Regulation, which establishes which European nation is responsible for examining an asylum request.
But there has yet to be another agreement reached in its place. The British government has said that if it doesn’t manage to reach a new agreement with the EU, it will negotiate bilateral agreements with individual countries.
MailOnline has contacted the Home Office for a comment on the latest migrant crossings – which are believed to have taken the number of people to have crossed the Channel this year to more than 8,500.
It comes after six migrants were rescued by French authorities on Bank Holiday Monday after attempting to cross the Channel by small boat in perilous conditions.
A French Navy Rhône metropolitan support vessel came to the aid of the first boat carrying two people after they called to say they were in difficulty.
On its way to Calais to drop them off, the ship discovered a second boat in trouble containing four migrants.
The Navy returned all migrants, including two suffering from mild hypothermia, to awaiting medics at the port shortly before 11.30am.
Meanwhile, a group successfully made the treacherous journey across the 21-mile Dover Strait on Boxing Day.
It come as Britain’s transition period ends tonight, with a new trade deal with the EU coming into force from 11pm
As many as 10 were seen being escorted up the gangway at Dover Marina, Kent by Border Force immigration officers with their grey rigid hulled inflatable boat moored for evidence.
Although the Home Office has not confirmed exact numbers for the crossing, it is likely to take the total figure for 2020 over 8,500.
So far 8,493 have been confirmed to have made the dangerous journey this year.
December has been relatively quiet due to the awful conditions at sea, with 156 migrants making it to the UK in nine boats this month.
The Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea had issued a weather warning for strong winds in the world’s busiest shipping route from noon on Boxing Day to Bank Holiday Monday.
Average winds were estimated at up to 80kmh with gusts of up to 120kmh.
Seas were also expected to be mostly heavy throughout the entire festive period.