A total of 36 migrants have been intercepted by UK Border Force today within just a few hours.
In the early hours of this morning a group of 11 adult male migrants, claiming to be Iranian and Iraqi, were found in the Channel and brought to Dover.
At about 7am a further 15 migrants were found struggling aboard a dingy in Dungeness, Kent.
A number of them were unconscious, three of whom were young children.
All were treated at the scene, but after regaining consciousness and following the care of paramedics, they were found to be fit and well and handed over to Border Force officials.
Another group of migrants, made up of nine men and one women who all claimed to be Iranian, were also stopped in the Channel and brought to Dover.
They were also handed to officials for interview following medical evaluation.It came after Border Force coastal patrol vessels were deployed and intercepted the boats earlier today, and means a total of 36 people have been halted in the Channel in just a few hours.
A Home Office spokesman said: 'Anyone crossing the Channel in a small boat is taking a huge risk with their life and the lives of their children.
'Since the Home Secretary declared a major incident in December, two cutters have returned to UK waters from overseas operations, we have agreed a joint action plan with France and increased activity out of the Joint Coordination and Information Centre in Calais.
'It is an established principle that those in need of protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach and since January more than 20 people who arrived illegally in the UK in small boats have been returned to Europe.'
