Migrant ‘fleeing British police’ tries to cross Channel to France
A migrant who was ‘fleeing British police’ tried to cross the Channel on a kayak to France.
The refugee, who is believed to be from Ukraine. was first seen off the British coast by a member of the public, which sparked a search by a Dover lifeboat.
When the man reached the middle of the Channel, he was then picked up by crew on a survey vessel in French waters, the Telegraph report.
It comes after a dangerously overcrowded boat with 60 migrants on board narrowly avoided sinking in the Channel last week.
On Sunday, the migrant was taken to Calais. Taped recordings document the moment French and British coastguards try to figure out his intentions.
Pictured: migrants on a small boat cross the English Channel on 30 August
Pictured: A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, by Border Force on August 21
A Dover coastguard said the man was ‘making quite a direct course for our vessel so I would guess he is looking for help’.
Maritime sources then claimed the man was fleeing police in the UK, although it was not specified what offence he was suspected of.
Last week it was revealed 614 migrants crossed the English Channel, bringing the total number of crossings to 20,433 so far this year.
The milestone was passed after 10 boats were intercepted in the Strait of Dover. The dangerous crossing was made by an average of 61 people per inflatable.
The number of arrivals crossing the Channel is 3 per cent higher than at the same point in 2023 (19,801) and 18 per cent lower than 2022 (25,065), according to analysis of Government data.
It is the second-highest number of arrivals on a single day since the General Election, after 703 arrivals on August 11.
The highest number on any day so far this year was 882 on June 18.
A Home Office spokesman said: ‘We all want to see an end to dangerous small boat crossings, which are undermining border security and putting lives at risk.
‘The new Government is taking steps to boost our border security, setting up a new Border Security Command which will bring together our intelligence and enforcement agencies, equipped with new counter-terror-style powers and hundreds of personnel stationed in the UK and overseas, to smash the criminal smuggling gangs making millions in profit.’
It comes after it was reported that a female migrant died after allegedly being thrown overboard in the Channel last week on Tuesday.
