Chaos as new pictures show dinghies struggling to stay afloat as migrants head for UK

Shocking pictures have shown staggering overloaded dinghies heading for the UK with one charity warning migrants were becoming increasingly desperate.

Meanwhile, one passenger on such a vessel was caught on film shouting “this is for Rishi Sunak" before it picked up more people from a beach near Calais and travelling across the English Channel.

More than 16,000 migrants have made the journey via the waterway this year so far, with the latest arrivals of 370 people travelling in six boats on Saturday.

The latest departures came just one day after a woman died attempting the perilous journey to the UK.

One picture shows people wearing orange lifejackets scrambling for a position with well over 25 people on board.

Separate video footage showed a group travelling on a black dinghy before reaching the sea, where dozens of migrants waded into the water at Gravelines and pulled themselves onto the crowded boat on Monday morning.

Men, women and young children, some wearing life jackets, could be seen appearing from sand dunes and walking across the beach.

Some youngsters were carried on shoulders, but families turned back from the sea as others walked out into the water to be picked up by the inflatable boat.

Police patrolled the beach and appeared to approach families before they turned away.

Volunteers from refugee charity Utopia 56 were also at the scene and said they deal with emergencies, check the boats at sea are not in trouble, distribute clothes and monitor how police engage with migrants on the beaches.

One volunteer, Pablo Eymard-Picollec, said of the families who turned back: "I think a few police officers talked to them and told them to stay on the beach.

"As you can see on the boat, it was really, really crowded, so I think they assumed it was too risky for them to go, but we have to speak with them to know for sure the reason they didn't go today."

It comes as the French coastguard rescued 34 migrants, while one person died, after a "heavily loaded" boat got into difficulty overnight from July 27 to 28.

Another Utopia 56 volunteer, who wished not to be named, said they believe it's more dangerous now as the police have militarised the border.

They said: "More and more people are coming in one boat because there is less chance for them to try.

"So there are more people now in one boat than before, there is more risk and things like yesterday."

The charity patrol group said they saw four boats leaving the French coastline on Monday morning.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage highlighted the gravity of the situation in a post on X yesterday,

Sharing a clip of rescued migrants arriving at the port, he said: "Sunday morning in Dover...

"Nothing is changing and Labour have no clue.

"Only Reform will stop the boats."

The number of crossings this year is currently on course to outstrip the 29,000 who made the journey in 2023.