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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Michael Howie

Dozens of migrants land on Kent beach after crossing channel in dinghy

Around 50 people landed on a beach in Kent on Monday after crossing the English Channel in a single dinghy.

Dozens of people, including women and young children, were seen arriving at Dungeness.

Some raised their hands in celebration as they stood on the beach, while others sat down on the shingle shoreline amid 24C sunshine.

The large dinghy is believed to have left northern France or Belgium earlier on Monday before crossing the dangerous 21-mile Dover Strait.

It came after 241 people arrived in the UK on Sunday on board eight boats, as 2021 continues to see rising numbers of crossings.

Border Force and Kent Police were in attendance at the scene as they awaited the arrivals on Monday afternoon.

The black dinghy came ashore on Dungeness Beach, around 30 miles along the coast from the port of Dover.

The large dinghy was believed to have left northern France or Belgium earlier on Monday (PA)

The vessel had been watched by the RNLI as it got closer and closer to the coast before eventually landing on the beach at around 1pm.

Some people raised their hands in the air in apparent celebration at having completed the dangerous journey, while others had to be supported as they walked on to the beach.

Among the arrivals were women and children, some too young to walk.

More people are believed to have attempted the cross to the UK on Monday, with Border Force and French warships active in the English Channel.

More than 1,850 migrants have succeeded in reaching Britain on board small boats in July so far, according to data analysis by the PA news agency, more than the total for the whole of 2019.

The Home Office has yet to confirm how many people have successfully crossed to the UK on Monday.

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