Nearly 50 suspected migrants rescued in Channel by officials

Nearly 50 suspected migrants have been rescued by Border Force and Coastguard officials, the Home Office has confirmed.

It comes after a co-ordinated search and rescue was carried out into a number of incidents off Kent, in a joint operation by the two organisations.

Sky News saw three boats arrive at the south coast port, one carrying six people and the other two carrying nine in the early hours of Boxing Day.

The first arrived at about 6.20am and the others soon after dawn.

A Home Office statement later confirmed that 49 people had been brought ashore after four small boats were intercepted.

The statement said: "They have presented themselves as Iranian, Iraqi and Afghan.

"They will now be medically assessed and transferred to immigration officials for interview.

"Further migrant activity was intercepted by the French authorities, with two other small boats taken back to France."

The people in the boats Sky saw were brought to shore with their heads covered, many wrapped in grey blankets and at least one in orange emergency clothing.

Most appeared to be male.

Sky reporter Kit Bradshaw, who witnessed them being brought ashore, said: "They were brought up that gangway, they were spoken to by Border Force officials, they were photographed, many of them were wearing blankets, many of them had life jackets on, which were taken off by those officials when they got to the top of that gangway and put in a pile to one side, and they were led to [a] shipping container where they were given hot drinks and blankets."

A Coastguard statement said: "We sent Dover RNLI lifeboat, HM Coastguard's helicopter from Lydd as well as the fixed-wing aircraft and Border Force vessels Seeker and Speedwell.

"We are committed to safeguarding life around the seas and coastal areas of this country. HM Coastguard is only concerned with preservation of life, rescuing those in trouble and bringing them safely back to shore, where they will be handed over to the relevant partner emergency services or authorities."