Migrant reportedly stabbed during 'busiest day' for small boats crossing the Channel
A migrant reported being stabbed on a French beach before travelling to the UK, during the busiest day for small boat crossings so far this year.
Some 514 people are thought to have crossed the English Channel on Wednesday, according to provisional figures from the Home Office.
A man reported being assaulted on a beach near Calais before crossing to the UK in a small boat, Kent Police have said.
The force were called to a report of a man with suspected stab wounds at 12.52pm on Wednesday after he arrived at Dover Western Docks.
The man was taken to hospital for his injuries and has since been discharged, the force said.
Meanwhile, the Government’s Rwanda Bill remains stuck in limbo, with MPs not scheduled to debate it again until after Parliament returns from its Easter break.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman described the current situation as a "migration emergency", adding: “It is exactly because we are still seeing people making this perilous journey across the Channel, including people in the last few days, that the PM wants parliamentarians across the House to get behind this Bill and to stop the boats.”
The running total for Channel crossings in 2024 to 4,043 – 10% higher than this time last year (3,683). It is also 25% higher than the total at this stage in 2022 when there were 3,229 arrivals recorded, analysis of the data indicates.
The Home Office has stressed that the latest data is provisional, suggesting the numbers could later be revised.
A Kent Police spokesperson added: “Kent Police received a report of a man with injuries consistent with stab wounds, following the arrival of a small boat at Dover Western Docks.
“He has reported that he was assaulted on a beach near Calais by two men who then stayed in France while he made the crossing to the UK.
“Details of the incident are being passed to authorities in France for further investigation.”
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