Normandy-launched migrant dinghy nears UK border after 24-hour sea trek

A migrant dinghy set sail from the Normandy coast near Vierville-sur-Mer on Monday morning and has now spent more than 24 hours at sea, nearing the Channel’s boundary line with the United Kingdom. French coastguard vessels have been monitoring the craft’s progress. The development arrives as the British government faces scrutiny after another small boat reached Folkestone’s shore unnoticed, leading to the arrest of five individuals who were transferred to Border Security Command.

Defence Minister Luke Pollard defended border security, noting an ongoing Home Office investigation into the missed detection. Anti-migration activist Daniel Thomas, founder of Patriot Platform and associate of Tommy Robinson, has publicised the crossing on social media. Crossings from as far west as Normandy are rare, and overall small-boat arrivals have fallen 46 % year-to-date compared with the previous year.