Overview
- A small inflatable reached The Warren near Folkestone on Monday and Kent Police detained five people before handing them to Border Security Command.
- Officials say the landing was only reported after a local skipper alerted a GB News producer who called the Coastguard and filmed the arrival.
- The Home Office has launched an investigation and ministers have defended border security while opposition figures called the incident a serious breach.
- French authorities are shadowing a separate dinghy that left Normandy more than 24 hours ago and say smugglers are shifting launch points west to try to avoid detection.
- Channel crossings this year are down about 46 percent versus last year but recent high-profile 'mega-dinghy' arrivals and the Folkestone landing have raised fresh questions about detection, rescue and enforcement practices.