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Migrant crossings resume after week of bad weather

 

More than 300 people have been intercepted in small boats in the English Channel on Friday, the first to cross in seven days.

Poor weather conditions in the Channel have prevented illegal crossings since 155 people arrived in three small boats last Friday.

Local sources report that more than 300 migrants had been taken from six dinghies since the early hours of Friday morning, with more arriving as the day progressed.

One of the boats intercepted at around 8am on Friday had almost made it to Dover harbour before a Border Force catamaran was able to intervene.

Those on board were then transferred to the Border Force vessel and taken the short distance to the main processing centre at Dover Harbour.

Over the past seven days, predominantly South Westerly winds of up to 20 knots have made the crossing from France largely impassable.

The latest arrivals in UK waters take the total number of people who have crossed the Channel since the beginning of the year to more than 11,700. That number is around 10 per cent down on the same period last year.

 


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