The rescue of 20 people from an inflatable boat off the coast of Dover has led to warnings that the English Channel could experience tragedies similar to those that occur in the Mediterranean.
Two children were among a group of 18 Albanians and two British people rescued from the Channel on Saturday night.
It has been reported the people on board had alerted their families in Calais, who raised the alarm with the French authorities. A second boat was later discovered off the coast of Dymchurch.
Bernard Barron, the president of the frech coastguard, said that Britain and France should be concerned that the number of attempted crossings could escalate with tragic consequences.
"It's starting to become a very similar situation to that seen in the Mediterranean," he said. "My biggest fear is that the same kind of tragedies we see in Greece or Italy will start to repeat in the Channel."
He added that smugglers had found a new way of bringing migrants into the country after it had become "virtually impossible" for them to enter via the Channel Tunnel or on ferries.
"They operate across the length of both the French and Belgian coastlines, between Ostend and into Normandy, finding new positions from where they can send their clients - the migrants - towards England."
Mr Barron said that even though the smugglers were being given large sums of money, there were not providing suitable transport for a "sea filled with danger, with strong currents, storms and heavy traffic of larger vessels".
The discovery has also led to calls for increased security off the ENglish coast.
Lord West, the former head of the royal navy, told the Daily Mail: "We are taking a calculated risk with our own territorial waters. Already we have seen these illegal immigrants and I don't believe there aren't clever traffickers using the smaller ports to send them and I'm sure terrorists are aware of the route too.
"We need to get a grip on this. We are taking a gamble that nothing will ever happen in our seas and that is a risky view to take given the dangerous world we are in."
However, David Monk, Conservative leader of the local authority, said he believed high levels of surveillance in the English Channel would mean most boats crossing the channel would be identified.
He added: "I am pretty sure our security is good. I cannot recall a previous incident but this should act as a warning to the authorities to be even more vigilant."
The Albanians have been detained pending Home Office consideration of their cases.
The National Crime Agency recently revealed migrants trying to reach the UK are paying smuggling gangs up to £13,500 for their journey.
