SUNBATHING Brits were left shocked yesterday when a boat of 30 migrants landed on a beach and then all quickly ran off.
It comes as 430 migrants crossed the English Channel on Monday – the largest number ever for a single day since the crisis began.
People thought to be migrants make their way up the beach after arriving on a small boat at Dungeness in Kent[/caption]
A man celebrates after arriving on the Kent beach[/caption]
A man helps a visibly ill woman from the beach[/caption]
Footage shows them fleeing a boat, which arrived at Oldstairs Bay, Kingsdown, Kent, and then run “all over the place in every direction”.
Within seconds they fled in front of stunned locals and tourists who were sunbathing at 11am.
Weather conditions made it safe to land at the beach as the water was calm and the visibility was clear.
One woman who witnessed the incident told The Sun: “It was unbelievable.
“They managed to get on land and then just ran all over the place in every direction.
“They looked like they’d won the lottery. They were very pleased.
“Some went down a footpath, others into the town in different directions, a group went up a hill and another towards the opposite end of town.
‘A REAL SHOCK’
“One minute I was relaxing and sunbathing and then the boat arrived. It was huge.
“It only took them a few seconds and they were gone.
“I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life. I only came down here for a bit of sun. It’s a lovely little spot.
“I was just topping up my tan and then this happened. It was a real shock.”
She said other locals started filming and within five minutes a police car had arrived but none of them were still there.
She added: “They were well gone by then. I doubt they’ll find them.”
The woman said two men, apparently British, arrived with backpacks, flasks of coffee and started to collect empty lifejackets.
We know there’s a lot of migrants arriving every day but this was so brazen. I’ve never seen them just arriving and run everywhere.
Witness
She added: “That was a bit odd. Some of the locals were asking them what was happening.
“We know there’s a lot of migrants arriving every day but this was so brazen.
“I’ve never seen them just arriving and run everywhere.
“I’m not sure how this problem will ever really get tackled.”
Yesterday, the Home Office revealed that 430 migrants crossed the Channel setting a record for the highest number since the crisis began.
A group of 40 people were seen coming ashore on a boat at Kingsdown near Deal.
Police were called to the beach but it is understood some fled the scene before the authorities could arrive.
RECORD DAY
The last record day was on September 22, 2020 when 393 made it across in 26 boats.
It comes after 241 made the 21-mile journey across the busiest shipping route in the world in eight boats on Sunday.
At least five boats were brought into Dover Marina, Kent, according to eyewitnesses, with the first vessel intercepted around 12pm.
Three young girls were on board the first boat brought into Dover Marina, Kent around 12pm.
Two of them were sitting on the knees of men believed to be their fathers.
They were helped out of the Border Force vessel by Immigration Enforcement officers and escorted up the gangway for processing.
The youngest girl, aged around three, was carried in the arms of an officer.
Migrant boat crossings have dramatically increased this year and in recent weeks they have been arriving in larger boats.
Monday’s staggering figures take the number to have arrived this year already to 8,159 this year – compared to the record yearly figure of 8,410 in 2020.
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Meanwhile, the Borders Bill is set to be debated in Parliament today.
The legislation looks to deter illegal entry and crackdown on people-smuggling gangs by making it a criminal offence for migrants to attempt to enter the UK without valid entry clearance.
Home Secretary Priti Patel’s crackdown comes after June saw more migrants cross the Channel by small boat than in any month ever before.
A record of 430 migrants crossed the English Channel yesterday[/caption]
The migrants were later taken away by Border Force staff[/caption]
Migrants stormed a beach in Kent in front of shocked sunbathers[/caption]
They arrived in a boat at Oldstairs Bay, Kingsdown[/caption]
A witness said the migrants ran ‘all over the place in every direction’[/caption]
A man and a child thought to be migrants make their way up the beach at Dungeness in Kent[/caption]
A man helps a woman after arriving on a small boat[/caption]
