Channel migrants: Patrols 'stepped up' after group of Iranians land on Kent beach

Patrols of the south-east coast will be "stepped up" after another group of suspected migrants landed on a UK beach on Sunday morning.

The government announced increased action - including through joint efforts with France - following the detention of six Iranian men and their inflatable boat on the beach at Kingsdown, Kent.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid has already declared a "major incident" following a recent spike in attempts by migrants to cross the Channel from France.

He held a telephone call with French interior minister Christophe Castaner on Sunday to agree moves to deter further small boat crossings.

These include:

:: Stepping up joint patrols, increased surveillance, and greater use of a UK-France Coordination and Information Centre near Calais

:: Greater sharing of resources, the disruption of organised trafficking groups, and a raising of awareness of the dangers of crossing the Channel

:: A face-to-face meeting in January between Mr Javid and Mr Castaner

Mr Castaner is understood to have described to Mr Javid how French officials dismantled an organised criminal gang earlier this month, which had been trafficking people through France.

On Monday, Mr Javid will lead a cross-government meeting in response to what has become a growing issue.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "We have stepped up deployments of our coastal patrol vessels along the south-east coast.

"We know there is organised criminal gang activity behind these attempts to cross the Channel, and the government is working with domestic and international agencies, including the French authorities, to coordinate our response."

Sky News understands Border Force was alerted by local residents at around 7.30am on Sunday to the incident at Kingsdown.

The group of six men were discovered to be Iranian and each has been given a medical assessment and transferred to immigration officials for processing.

Scores of people have recently been intercepted attempting to cross the Channel, with two boats carrying 12 men from Syria and Iran brought to shore at Dover on Friday and 40 migrants detected on Christmas Day.

There are fears it is only a matter of time before there is a migrant death in the Channel from a capsized dinghy.

Mr Javid this weekend cut short a family holiday to help deal with a situation he described as a "grave concern", as people make "reckless attempts to reach the UK in unsafe boats and treacherous conditions".

"It is vital we strike a balance between protecting them and protecting our borders, ensuring we do not encourage more people to make this dangerous journey," he added.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has said the UK's armed forces "stand ready" if needed to prevent further crossings.

The Immigration Services Union, which represents Border Force staff, has said the two ageing Cutters available for patrols are "woefully inadequate".

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has warned that more "highly dangerous" attempts by migrants to reach the UK are likely.

Tackling organised criminal gangs behind attempted Channel crossings is an "operational priority" for the NCA, who are working with their French counterparts.

Immigration minister Caroline Nokes visited Dover on Saturday, but suggested deploying more resources could in fact prompt further attempted crossings.

She said: "It is feasible that were we to put additional craft (out) they might act as a magnet - encouraging people to make a perilous crossing."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn posted on Twitter on Sunday: "We have a duty to reach out the hand of humanity, support and friendship to people who are in danger and seeking a place of safety."

And Labour's shadow home secretary Diane Abbott criticised Mr Javid for a "flawed" response to attempted migrant crossings.

She wrote in the Sunday Mirror: "He has still to explain exactly how the government plans to handle these mass criminal operations in British waters.

"The Home Office's flawed strategy has been to focus on deterring refugees, thinking that the issues in the Mediterranean would never reach our shores.

"While the Tories wax lyrical about control of our borders and being tough on security, they cannot seem to get a grip on criminal smugglers operating on a few hundred miles of coastline, in one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world."