Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones urged UK Border Force to take migrants intercepted in the English Channel to Dover rather than Hampshire – but it is understood that the group is instead being brought into Gosport this evening (Tuesday).
The latest information indicates that those onboard the small boat are being brought into the Solent by Border Force, despite the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner calling for them to be transferred to Dover by sea.
Earlier estimates suggested that as many as 100 people could have been onboard the vessel. However, the latest indications suggest the actual number is closer to 50.
As previously reported by Island Echo, the small boat is thought to have left the French coast near Caen at around 21:00 last night (Monday), before being shadowed by the French vessel ‘Abeille Liberte’.
It subsequently entered British waters, with RNLI All Weather Lifeboats from Eastbourne and Hastings launched to intercept it.
A Coastguard Rescue plane from Newquay was also seen circling above the vessel during its journey across the Channel.
Earlier today, Donna Jones called on UK Border Force to intervene and take those onboard directly to Dover, raising concerns about the impact another arrival in Hampshire could have on policing resources and local communities.
Donna Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, has said:
“I am urging UK Border Force to collect the migrants in the Channel now, in the next hour, and transfer them to Dover via the water on a UK Cutter which is in the area. This is the assurance I was seeking 10 days ago from the Home Secretary.
“Hampshire is not prepared or set-up to process people travelling into Britain this way, and the burden on the police to deal with the arrival and potential protest activity is unsustainable.
“Following the events of September 6 when a migrant boat was brought ashore to Portsmouth, I wrote to the Home Secretary to request immediate action to stop Hampshire becoming an established landing site.
“I am deeply concerned the government has not been in contact with me about its plans to land crossings in Hampshire, whilst expecting me to pay for the policing response on behalf of the people of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
“This is no way to run an operation like this.”
Today’s incident comes just over 2 weeks after more than 150 migrants were intercepted in the English Channel by Bembridge and Yarmouth RNLI crews.
They were eventually brought ashore at Eastney Beach in Portsmouth on 6th September.
Referring to the impact of that incident, Commissioner Jones added:
“The event on September 6 sparked multiple large scale protests, and caused a great deal of concern across local communities. It drained valuable police resources with hundreds of police officers drafted in to keep the community safe.
“Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary cannot repeatedly divert its resources to manage landings the county was never designed to receive.”
Earlier today, Reform UK group leader Councillor James Whelan confirmed that the Isle of Wight Council was aware of the developing incident and was embedded in the multi-agency response.
He said the likelihood of the small boat itself landing on the Isle of Wight was “very very very low”, with the prospect of those onboard subsequently being brought to the Island also described as “very low”.
UPDATE @ 18:30 – Island Echo understands that Donna Jones has been granted her wish, with the illegal migrants onboard the HMC Vigilant now being taken to Dover.
