Children among migrants brought ashore as 'UK to surpass daily record arrivals'

Video report by ITV News Correspondent Dan Rivers

At least three children were among a group of migrants brought to the UK as more boats crossing the Channel continue to arrive.

The Coastguard had reportedly been alerted to more than 20 incidents, with the number of people arriving set to reach a new one-day record.

Images show officials carrying the youngsters from lifeboats in Dover on Tuesday.

Witnesses described a "steady stream" of boats arriving, with large number of people on board being handed over to immigration officials wearing masks and gloves. The Home Office is yet to provide information on the Border Force operations taking place.

A young boy is carried by a Border Force officer Credit: Gareth Fuller/PA

The latest number of incidents comes amid a bout of warm weather and calm waters.

On Monday, it emerged that hundreds of boats believed to have been used in past attempts are being stored at a high-security government compound.

Pictures showed the discarded dinghies and rowing boats, which were discovered piled on top of one another, at a warehouse storage facility on an industrial estate in the Whitfield area of the Kent port town.

The boats are stored to use as evidence in people-smuggler prosecutions, the Home Office said.

Men thought to be a migrants are escorted by Border Force workers. Credit: PA

At least 2,800 migrants have crossed to the UK so far this year.

Last week more than 350 people made the crossing, with 137 on Friday alone.

Despite agreeing to launch a Franco-British intelligence cell, it emerged that the countries are embroiled in a row on tactics used to tackle the crossings crisis – particular whether maritime law permits French authorities to intercept boats at sea and take them back to the Continent.

The Dover Lifeboat and Border Force officers tow small boats into Dover, Kent Credit: Gareth Fuller/PA

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 dangerous journeys, aiming for them to be virtually eradicated by spring this year.

Charities have repeatedly insisted that the only way to tackle the crossings is by committing to providing migrants with safe, legal routes of passage for those seeking sanctuary in the UK. The Home Office has said migrants should be claiming asylum in the first safe European country they arrive in.