Suspected migrant family found after empty boat spotted off Kent coast
Five children are among those transferred to immigration officials in the latest suspect migrant crossing in the Channel.
Sunday 24 February 2019 22:30, UK
A family of seven has been found near the Kent coastline after an empty dinghy was spotted in the Channel.
A mother, father and five children are to be interviewed by immigration officials.
Border Force officials were alerted to the dinghy at 4.20am after it was spotted off Kingsdown, between Dover and Deal.
It was recovered a mile out to sea, with a Home Office spokesman saying the Border Force were confident it was used for a migrant crossing.
Some lifejackets were reportedly found on Shakespeare Beach, just west of Dover's port.
On Monday, 34 migrants were rescued by the RNLI and Border Force officials after they were seen crowded into a small boat off Dover.
The men, women and children were brought to the town and medically assessed before being transferred for an immigration interview.
Three men were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences, the Home Office said.
The government declared a "major incident" in the Channel after a sharp rise in the number of migrants being picked up by UK authorities in December.