As we observed a border patrol vessel approach the port of Dover, it was challenging to discern from a distance how many migrants, if any, were onboard.
Beneath the deck of that vessel, however, there were at least 60 individuals who had been saved from the ocean.
Among them was a small infant, snugly wrapped in blankets, cradled in its mother’s arms.
Another man clutched his young child closely.
It’s hard to fathom what compelled them to undertake such a perilous voyage, often in overcrowded and unseaworthy crafts, to reach the shores of the UK.
And they are not alone: today, Home Office statistics confirmed more migrants have traversed the channel in small boats this year than in all of 2023.
In the town center of Dover, there is empathy for the new arrivals, but also a sense of resignation that no policy appears likely to deter individuals from endangering their lives in this manner.
A husband and wife shopping paused to engage in conversation, eager to express their thoughts.
“It must be costing the country millions,” the woman remarked.
Her husband added: “They have to find a place to go, though.”
His wife concurred: “We can’t halt their journey… this issue extends beyond just the UK, affecting Italy and Greece as well.”
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Migrants arrive in Dover
Two other men enjoying coffee further down the high street referred to it as “a substantial immigration dilemma.”
One proposed a stronger “collaboration with France.”
“It’s not solely about halting illegal immigration; it’s indeed about saving lives,” he remarked.
Another shopper expressed that migrants “are determined to undertake that journey regardless,” and characterized Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation policy as “an extravagant farce.”
There was minimal anticipation of stopping or reducing small boat crossings in this area.
Kay Marsh, from the Dover migrant charity Samphire
Even Kay Marsh, representing the Dover migrant charity Samphire, insisted that “the situation is only going to deteriorate further.”
She desires to hear less about deterrents and more advocacy for “safe and legal alternatives.”
Her conclusion is clear: providing people “with options other than small boats is the only viable solution to this crisis.”
