Council Says Small Boat Arrivals On Isle Of Wight Remain Extremely Unlikely

The Isle of Wight Council says the chances of people arriving on the Island as part of a small boat crossing remain extremely low.

The statement follows the incident on Sunday and into the early hours of Monday, which involved a small boat crossing the English Channel and prompted a multi-agency response.

Council officers were involved in the response and worked alongside Border Force, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and police.

The council says it was later confirmed by Border Force that those involved would not be brought ashore on the Isle of Wight.

Instead, the intention was for the people on board to be landed on the mainland before being transported to Kent.

The council says responsibility for border security and immigration enforcement rests with the UK Government and its agencies.

It also says it has received no notification that the Isle of Wight is being considered as a location for the disembarkation or processing of people involved in small boat crossings.

The authority says it remains in regular contact with the Home Office and other agencies to ensure the Island's concerns and circumstances are understood.

Representations will also be made to the Government through the Island's MPs.

Council leader Councillor Jonathan Bacon thanked the RNLI, Coastguard and emergency services involved in Sunday's operation.

He said their professionalism and cooperation helped ensure the incident was dealt with safely and effectively.

Councillor Bacon also urged Islanders to rely on official and trusted sources of information, rather than sharing unverified claims or rumours online.