A second small boat migrant has died in the English Channel in as many days, as hundreds more head for the UK.
GB News can confirm that the migrant was airlifted unconscious from the waters off the coast Dunkirk in the early hours today.
Another two migrants were also pulled from the sea, and 12 others asked to be taken off a dangerously overcrowded small boat.
All of those rescued were taken onshore, but the unconscious migrant was declared dead before reaching hospital.
Three small boats filled with migrants have crossed the Channel today
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The incident happened after a small boat with around 40 people onboard arrived off the coast near the beach at Gravelines.
Dozens more piled onboard the vessel, forcing some people into the water.
After rescuing 15 of those onboard, the remaining migrants refused further help from French authorities.
That small boat continued on its illegal journey to the UK, and was eventually picked up by the Border Force vessel Volunteer.
Just before 8am today, Volunteer arrived at the migrant processing centre at Dover Harbour.
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Just before 8am today, Volunteer arrived at the migrant processing centre at Dover Harbour
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GB News's Kent producer counted 70 migrants as they were taken off the Border Force vessel.
They were taken to a holding area initially, to be questioned over the earlier tragic events in French waters.
Yesterday, a 25-year-old migrant died in another incident in the Pas-de-Calais.
The man suffered a cardiac arrest and was taken to the port of Boulogne but died despite efforts to resuscitate him.
At least 289 other migrants made it to the UK yesterday, the first to arrive after more than a week of bad weather stopped people smugglers from launching their boats.
GB News's Kent producer counted 70 migrants as they were taken off the Border Force vessel
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Today, GB News can confirm that so far, a further 215 migrants have arrived in three small boats so far today, while another small boat is still in French waters heading for the UK.
If the final boat makes it to British waters, it will take the total number of migrant arrivals so far this year to around 5,000.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.
“The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay. We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.”
