Migrant dinghy from Cherbourg heads toward Hampshire amid rising Channel crossings

Early Sunday, a migrant dinghy set sail from a beach close to Cherbourg at about 6 am, part of a broader pattern of crossings that began from western Normandy rather than the usual launch sites of Dunkirk and Calais. The vessel is now travelling northward toward the Hampshire shoreline, under escort by a French border-patrol ship and two French lifeboats. British ships are poised to pick up the passengers once they enter UK waters, but officials have not clarified their final destination.

The shift in launch points signals criminal networks adapting their routes, while local opposition has intensified after a “mega-dinghy” was off-loaded near Eastney in early September, prompting protests in Portsmouth and other Hampshire locales. Earlier this week, over 200 illegal migrants have been intercepted and taken to the Border Force processing centre at Dover harbour; overall, close to 500 have arrived since Friday, and the year-to-date total stands at around 19,700, down about 40 % from the previous year’s record 41,000-plus arrivals.