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Migrants case at The Warren Folkestone, police, Coastguards and Border Force involved

Seven more migrants have been found on the Kent coast today.

Police, Coastguard and Border Force officials were alerted to a vessel, located off Folkestone, at around 7am.

A Home Office spokesman said: "Following reports of a vessel off the Kent coast travelling towards the UK, officers from Border Force and Kent Police encountered seven people in The Warren area today at approximately 7am.

The Warren, Folkestone Picture : Gary Browne
The Warren, Folkestone Picture : Gary Browne

"The men, who presented themselves as Iranian nationals, were medically assessed and have been transferred to immigration officials for interview."

A Kent Police spokesman confirmed: "Officers attended the area along with the Coastguard and Border Force."

A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: "Earlier this morning we assisted Border Force with an incident off the Kent coast.

"HM Coastguard is committed to safeguarding life around the seas and coastal areas of this country.

"We are only concerned with preservation of life, rescuing those in trouble and bringing them safely back to shore, where they will be handed over to the relevant partner emergency services or authorities."

This migrant incident comes after a double case yesterday involving 13 people.

A RHIB (rigid-hulled inflatable boat) was then found at Langdon Bay, Dover, and eight men were later found at the port.

Later the Border Force, with HM Coastguard, stopped a second RHIB with five men heading towards Britain.

Today's incident now brings the amount of net migrant or suspected migrant cases, according to a Kent Online count, of 56, involving 492 people.

This is since last November 8 and covers instances where people using small craft have landed on the shores, usually in the Deal, Dover and Folkestone areas.

Or they have been rescued at sea and brought in by British authorities.
The gross figure since that time has added up to 68 cases involving a total 593 people.

This would include occasions where people have been stopped early on, by the French authorities, and brought back to France.

The one publicly confirmed death out of all these was of a migrant who died under a coach at the Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone.

Further details are available from the Home Office.

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