Child given wheelchair among migrants arriving in UK after crossing Channel

A child was assisted with a wheelchair as they arrived among a group of migrants in Dover after crossing the English Channel.

Pictures show men, women and children wearing life jackets and blankets disembarking from a Border Force vessel at the Kent port on Tuesday.

It is understood the child was provided a wheelchair by Border Force when arriving in Dover due to a medical condition.

They are the first arrivals in a week since 206 people made the journey on August 19, according to Home Office figures.

A total of 19,294 people had arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel as of August 26, 2% lower than the same point in 2023 (19,741) and 20% lower than in 2022 (24,153).

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We all want to see an end to dangerous small boat crossings, which are undermining border security and putting lives at risk.

“The new Government is taking steps to boost our border security, setting up a new Border Security Command which will bring together our intelligence and enforcement agencies, equipped with new counter-terror-style powers and hundreds of personnel stationed in the UK and overseas, to smash the criminal smuggling gangs making millions in profit.”