Channel migrants: More small boats arrive at Dover

Another 43 migrants in four small boats were intercepted in the English Channel off the Kent coast, the Home Office said.

The boats were picked between about 07:40 and 12:15 BST on Wednesday, a Home Office spokesman said.

On Tuesday, 159 migrants in 13 boats were brought ashore at Dover in six hours.

Almost 3,200 migrants have reached the UK in about 235 small boats this year, according to BBC research.

Two men were on the first boat and presented themselves as Egyptian and Algerian nationals, the Home Office said.

On board the second boat, which was intercepted at about 10:00, were three males who all said they were Sudanese.

"At around 10:55 a Border Force vessel intercepted a [third] vessel which was carrying 29 males and five females who presented themselves as Afghan, Egyptian, Iranian, Iraqi, Kuwaiti and Pakistani nationals," a Home Office spokesman said.

The fourth boat was carrying four males who said they were Sudanese, he added.

Earlier this month, Home Secretary Priti Patel said no new target date has been set for when the crossings would become an "infrequent phenomenon".

Less than a year ago she vowed "urgent action" on the journeys, aiming for them to be virtually eradicated by spring this year.

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