Home Secretary criticizes 'unacceptable' migrant landings in Kent
The Home Secretary has condemned recent migrant landings on UK beaches, describing them as "not acceptable". She has ordered an urgent review following two separate incidents where small boats reached the shore near Dover and Folkestone without being intercepted.
On Tuesday, 21 individuals were detained after a boat landed at Samphire Hoe, and on Monday, five people were detained after an unidentified landing near Folkestone, the first such incident in over a year.
Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, attributed these rare landings to evolving smuggling tactics, including the launch of boats from further west in France. She emphasized the dangers posed by these crossings and acknowledged the effectiveness of UK efforts to deter people smugglers.
"Our improved monitoring has led to uncontrolled crossings becoming incredibly rare, but even one is one too many," she stated. The review will focus on how these landings occurred and prevent their recurrence.
In a separate development, migrants embarked on a long sea journey from a village near Bayeux, Normandy, to Gosport, Hampshire, spending over 33 hours at sea.
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