Five children among Channel migrants arriving at Dover

The children were brought ashore by Border Force in Dover

Five children, including a baby without socks or shoes, were among migrants who crossed the English Channel in small boats in near-freezing conditions.

The Home Office said 111 people arrived in five boats, with the French stopping 35 people from making the journey.

The children, some too young to walk, were brought ashore at Dover wrapped in blankets by Border Force officers.

The crossings came after a £28m deal between the UK and France to double police patrols on French beaches.

Meanwhile, Kent County Council has announced it has begun accepting unaccompanied migrant children for the first time in four months.

In August, amid a rise in the number of children arriving alone, the authority had said it could no longer care for them safely.

Five children were seen arriving at the Port of Dover on Monday

Earlier this month the Commons Home Affairs Committee heard the number of crossings had increased "alarmingly".

The minister for immigration compliance, Chris Philp, told MPs turning migrant boats back to France could be a "critical component" in tackling the surge in crossings to the UK.

More than 8,294 people have successfully crossed the English Channel in about 631 boats so far this year.

In 2019 there were 1,844 crossings and 299 in 2018.

In November the Home Office announced the number of officers patrolling French beaches would double as part of a range of measures Home Secretary Priti Patel had agreed with her French counterpart.

Ms Patel said the increase in patrols represented "a further step forward in our shared mission to make Channel crossings completely unviable".

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