On Sunday at 12:26 pm, Newhaven Lifeboat was launched by HM Coastguard to respond to a call concerning a small boat carrying around eight individuals in the English Channel.
The lifeboat located the vessel in question and carried out a successful operation to transfer all occupants safely onto the lifeboat. Subsequently, they were transported back to Newhaven Port.
Upon reaching Newhaven Port, the occupants were handed over to Sussex Police and Border Force officials. Each individual was escorted and subjected to searches by authorities before being taken into the care of Border Force.
Newhaven coastguard also met the boat to provide safety cover.
Sussex Police said “Police were called to Newhaven Port at about 2.30pm on Sunday, October 8 over a report of a vessel in difficulty at sea.Eight persons were brought ashore with the help of the RNLI Lifeboat team, HM Coastguard, and the UK Border Force.
A 29-year-old man of Enfield, and a 38-year-old man of Hertfordshire were arrested on suspicion of doing an act to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law by a non-UK national.
They both remain in custody at this time.”
Border Force reported that, on the same Sunday, a total of 218 migrants arrived in six boats while attempting to cross the English Channel.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The unacceptable number of people risking their lives by making these dangerous crossings is placing an unprecedented strain on our asylum system.
“Our priority is to stop the boats, and thanks to the work of the Small Boats Operational Command alongside our French partners, crossings are down by more than 20% compared to the same point last year.
“The government is going even further through our Illegal Migration Act which will mean that people arriving in the UK illegally are detained and promptly removed to their country of origin or a safe third country.”
