French Police Fire Tear Gas in Clash with Migrants as Hundreds More Cross English Channel

Migrants were seen climbing into boats in order to make the Channel crossing

So far this morning, several small boats have already crossed into UK waters.

Just after 7am, the RNLI lifeboat from Ramsgate reached Dover harbour with the first group of illegal arrivals.

GB News counted 47 people as they were taken off the lifeboat and sent to the Border Force migrant processing facility in the harbour.

Just over half an hour later, the Border Force vessel Defender docked at Dover.

Members of the gendarmerie fired tear gas and clashed with a large group of migrants

Hundreds more are reported to be nearing UK waters.

The latest arrivals follow 28 days of no small boat activity because of poor weather conditions.

The winds died down last Saturday, allowing people smugglers push more than 700 migrants out into small boats.

On Wednesday, a further 500 made the voyage from France.

This morning’s clashes between police and migrants show that French authorities are attempting some interventions, but the vast majority of small boat launches are still going largely unchallenged.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The number of small boat crossings are shameful and the British people deserve better.

“This Government is taking action. We have removed almost 50,000 people who were here illegally, and our historic deal with the French means those who arrive on small boats are now being sent back.

“The Home Secretary has announced the most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration in decades, removing the incentives that bring illegal migrants to the UK and scaling up the return of those with no right to be here.”