Some 153 people who arrived in UK waters in three dinghies were landed at Ramsgate last weekend due to anti-immigration protests in Dover.
The people were processed directly at the Manston centre rather than going through the Kent Intake Unit at Dover first.
It is understood the Home Office diverted landings to Ramsgate to avoid conflict with those at the Great British National Protest in Dover on Saturday (July 19).
The last time small boats were diverted to Ramsgate was in 2022
This month the Prime Minister and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to take forward a new partnership to address small boat Channel crossings and dismantle people smuggling networks.
The scheme involves small boat arrivals being returned to France with an equal number of migrants able to come to the UK from France through a new legal route – fully documented and subject to strict security checks.
The pilot agreement is intended to prevent illegal migrant journeys across Europe to the UK and prevent dangerous small boat crossings.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Dangerous small boats in our Channel undermine our border security and put lives at risk. That is why we are so determined to work with France to go after the criminal smuggler gangs, to undermine their business model, to begin returns and to prevent boat crossings.
“This new pilot agreement with France is extremely important and allows us for the first time to return people who have paid to travel here illegally, and will sit alongside our wider joint enforcement action, including disrupting supply chains to seize boats and engines, shutting down social media accounts, and targeting finances.
“Since last summer, we have returned over 30,000 people with no right to be in the UK and a major surge in immigration enforcement activity, with a 51% increase in the number of illegal working arrests.”
Should have been diverted to Sidi bel Abes!
That’ll improve Ramsgate.
I think there will be riots before the end of summer.
i agree with Chris T , its coming – people have had enough ! those illegals would have been tucked up nicely on a luxury coach heading to the land of milk and honey , they would only have seen the demonstration which they should have taken note of.
Put ’em in a hotel in Ramsgate! They’ll soon be sneaking into boats to go back to Calais (I know I would).
Time for your bag to be changed ?
Plenty of old bags in Ramsgate.
Please stop posting these ageist, nasty comments about Thanet. If you really feel this way I suggest you move elsewhere or keep your negativity about the area to yourself. Thanks.
But it’s OK to refer to someone’s colostomy bag?
Then why are you hanging around Fanitt still, Mr Checksfield? Do you feel quite at home here?
Agreed! Well said Ton.
Liz Jones and Ton- I agree with you both about Peter Checksfield.
Ridiculous comment. Have you even bothered to watch the recent footage on YouTube or GB News of the Calais migrant camps…Ramsgate hotels much better I suspect.
Please stop putting down Ramsgate in your comments.
Have you ever stayed in a hotel in Calais? I have. Please stop putting down the French, you bigot!
The revolution will not be televised.
Plenty of glamping tents at quex park available for them.
Society is breaking down this government do not have the answers, and yes, there maybe civil unrest in the future. People have a clear choice, allow the country to be invaded or start to push back.
I’m moving to Wales to get away from foreigners who talk funny.
i thought people only came from wales Mr Checksfield ? i have never heard of anyone actualy moving there
It’s nearly empty now, so would be a great place to ship migrants.
If all else fails move to Wales.
Bye; bye Checks and Sad World.
Captain Da da – as a Welshwoman I would not want Wales to have to put up with Peter Checksfield. Yet again I remind readers that some time ago Mr. Checksfield referred to me on one of these comment threads as a “Welsh whore”.
Would you be OK for Wales to get their fair share of immigrants arriving in boats? Serious question.
Ignore the babbling of small groups of fascists and extreme right wingers. There will not be riots – the Dover turnout was pathetic and outnumbered by counter demonstrators. People in Dover [& Thanet] are generally sensible and don’t support attacks on the Police or minority groups. The Government needs to reinstate consulates in countries that potential asylum seekers can pass through. If they are approved they can be passed through the Channel Tunnel and be dealt with in Central London. If they have no reasonable claims they can be turned around in Paris, Istanbul, Rome or whenever. The Tory Government thought it was saving money by closing these. In reality they were the cause of the inflatable boats having human cargoes.
Keith: ‘fascists’ and ‘extreme right wingers’ have become framed propaganda terms to skew the narrative away from the fact that millions have legitimate concerns about illegal immigration and the blindly obviously fact that this small country has not got the funds (tax payers’ monies) or resources to accommodate this. At the same time they see homes and jobs taken away from locals (Britannia Hotel in London has just let a lot of their staff go so private firms can take over). Far-left marxists may be the folk to fear more – and they are often funded by shadowy groups.
Thought experiment….a plane lands at Gatwick that does not have clearance and 100 foreigners stream out then push thru the gates…. Do you think it would be allowed like it is in the channel