An investigation is underway after the first unescorted landing of a boat carrying migrants on a Kent beach in three years.
It resulted in five suspects being arrested by police, who have now been handed over to the Border Force.
A boat carrying five suspected illegal migrants is said to have landed on Kingsdown beach without being intercepted in the Channel
The incident has sparked concern as migrant boat crossings are now routinely intercepted in the Channel by Border Force or the RNLI and brought ashore.
The landing happened at Kingsdown near Deal on Saturday evening.
A Kent police spokesman said: “At 7.50pm on Saturday, September 6, Kent Police was called to a report of suspected migrants near Kingsdown, Deal.
“Patrols attended and five people were detained and passed to Border Force officers.”
The Home Office has declined to comment while an active investigation is ongoing.
But a spokesman from the Prime Minister’s office told LBC Radio: “My understanding is the circumstances of their arrival are being investigated and that all five people were placed under immigration control.
“We obviously have significant arrangements and technology in place to prevent uncontrolled small boat landings.
“But whilst the investigation is ongoing, it’s not possible to provide any more detail on this specific instance.”
As of September 7, the total number of migrants arriving in the UK on small boats this year reached 30,100.
The figure marks a record pace for arrivals by this method, with more than 1,000 individuals arriving in a single day on September 6.
New Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood says her top priority is securing the UK border.
She has suggested that countries that do not take back illegal migrants could have their visa arrangements suspended.