A migrant has been arrested after allegedly launching a frenzied and violent attack on two Border Force officers and a security guard shortly after reaching the UK on a small boat from France.
The 21-year-old bit the guard, punched and kicked a female officer and left her male colleague with severe damage to his shoulder during the latest violent assault on Friday afternoon, it is claimed. He is also accused of trying to attack a coach driver.
The migrant was among a group of 40 who had crossed the English Channel from France in a small boat, landing on a beach near Ramsgate.
But the young man lashed out as he was being taken by coach from Ramsgate to the Home Office migrant processing centre at Manston where newly arrived migrants are registered.
The migrant was among a group of 40 who had crossed the English Channel from France in a small boat, landing on a beach near Ramsgate. Pictured: Border Force crews of British Coastal Patrol vessels position their craft in Ramsgate harbour
The migrant was arrested on suspicion of assault by Kent Police upon arrival at the reception centre.
Now Border Force staff have told how they fear an officer will get killed due the growing number of violent attacks by migrants arriving on Britain’s beaches from France.
One told MailOnline: ‘Border Force officers, security guards and drivers fear these attacks will escalate and someone will end up dead!
‘Everyone who works on the south coast knows that this an absolute nightmare waiting to happen.
‘If more than one migrant had become violent it could have resulted in the deaths of Border Force officers and others.
‘Border Forces officers are outnumbered by migrants to a ratio of ten to one when they are transferred to the Manston.
‘But despite being under arrest for illegal entry they are not handcuffed or even searched.
‘Someone will end up dead!’
Some 20,042 migrants have arrived in the UK in small boats so far this year.
The government fears the surge in crossings in small boats will push numbers beyond the record 28,500 arrivals in 2021.
‘Border Force officers, security guards and drivers fear these attacks will escalate and someone will end up dead!’ a Border Force Guard told MailOnline. Pictured: File photo of Ramsgate Harbour
Kent Police confirmed that a 21-year-old was arrested on suspicion of assaulting three people during the journey to Manston Processing Centre.
A spokesman told MailOnline: ‘Kent Police officers attended a Home Office facility in Manston on Friday 12 August 2022 and arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of assaulting three people during a coach journey earlier that day.
‘The man was taken into custody and was later released pending further enquiries.’
A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘We do not comment on live police investigations. The safety of our officers is our utmost priority. All small boats operational activities are risk assessed and are subject to review in the rare instances when incidents do occur. To suggest otherwise is completely wrong.’