"Iranian asylum seekers" stole a fishing boat and reached the British coast
Reports indicate that 17 Iranian migrants crossed the English Channel on Tuesday morning after stealing a French fishing boat and reaching the British coast, where they were stopped by the country's coastguard.
According to AFP, British authorities have confirmed that the 17 migrants, including three children, managed to reach British shores by stealing a 12-meter fishing boat near the port of Calais in France on Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, French maritime officials called the migrants' actions "unprecedented" and said that previously, migrants had tried to reach Britain in small boats, but in most cases they were unsuccessful.
The British Home Office also said in a statement that the group of migrants were stopped at the Port of Dover. "They are 14 men and three children, and all identified themselves as Iranian."
A spokesman for the British Home Office also said that their asylum claims are being examined and that three children have been handed over to social services.
The report also indicates that three other small boats were stopped by the British Coast Guard in Kent on Wednesday, with their passengers likely to be Iranian.
According to the BBC World Service, the passengers on one of these small boats were "seven men, one woman and a young child", and another 10 men were found in another boat.
According to the report, the British Coastguard first became aware at 4:30 a.m. that a boat was in trouble southwest of the shipping lane and went to help the refugees. The second boat was found at 9 a.m.
The report added that five people on another boat were also rescued a few miles off the coast of Ramsgate.
AFP reports that thousands of migrants from the Middle East and Africa are trying to reach British shores.
The coastal city of Calais has the shortest waterway between France and Britain, and since the dismantling of the so-called "Jungle" camp in the city, many refugees living in Calais have stepped up their efforts to reach Britain.
Source: Radio Farda
