The home secretary, Sajid Javid, has declared the rising number of migrants attempting to cross the English Channel a “major incident”, as campaigners and charities warned of increasing desperation among those attempting to make the journey. Javid also appointed a gold commander to deal with the growing crisis and asked for an urgent call with his French counterpart to discuss the issue. Two more inflatable boats carrying 12 men from Syria and Iran were intercepted on Friday, adding to the 82 migrants detained trying to cross the Channel since Christmas Day. At least 250 migrants were intercepted in the Channel between January and November 2018, including 65 people, mainly Iranians, in the last three weeks of November, the Guardian understands. If we ignore these problems, we will see desperate people exploited … people crossing the Channel in small boats is just one example of the perilous situations people are forced into.”

Source: The Guardian December 28, 2018 17:23 UTC