The Times - UK (2020-08-01)

24 2GM Saturday August 1 2020 | the times

News

RUSSELL SACH

Boats carrying 75 migrants were inter-
cepted in the Channel yesterday, as
Border Force officials expressed aston-
ishment that the vessels had remained
afloat during the journey.
Dozens of people in small dinghies
arrived on the Kent coast, hours after
the Border Force intercepted a record
daily total of 202 migrants on Thursday.
The migrants travelled across in
overcrowded rigid-hulled inflatable
dinghies. Steve Whitton, head of mari-
time command at the agency, said the
average dinghy was designed to hold
four people but people smugglers sent
them on their journeys with four times
as many people aboard.
He said: “They are crammed with 15
to 16 people. People will sit in the
middle of the boat but everyone else is
sitting on the inflatable rim because
there is not enough room. The boats are
so full that the backs of those sitting on
the rim are often in the water because
of the swell. It is incredible that they
stay afloat.”
He said that most of the boats took in
water and migrants were often soaked,
tired and cold by the time they arrived,
after up to seven hours crossing a
shipping lane that 300 commercial
vessels passed through every day, in-
cluding ships up to a quarter of a mile
long.
Asked if the migrants
asked for asylum if they
were taken aboard a
UK Border Force
cutter, Mr Whitton
said: “That is not a
conversation
they have. People
are generally
quite relieved.
Conversation is
very, very limited.
Our job is to make

Agents pick up

277 migrants

in the Channel

sure they are safe and to make checks

on their welfare.”

Among those arriving yesterday

were about ten migrants who landed

near the New Lighthouse, Dungeness,

including one seen giving a thumbs-up.

It was reported that one woman was

holding what looked like a Chanel bag.

A resident said: “They looked very well

dressed. I thought the woman with the

designer handbag was local at first,

until officers held blankets around her

so she could go to the toilet.”

Seven men lay on the pebbles. One

young man, lying with his eyes closed,

had an umbrella to shelter from the

heat. People smugglers took advantage

of the calm weather to send more mi-

grants across after the 202 who arrived

in 20 separate incidents on Thursday.

More than 3,000 have crossed this year

with an estimated 1,000 in July alone, as

people smugglers take advantage of the

fact that there is less traffic crossing to

the UK because of Covid-19.

Crime gangs are offering “end-to-

end” package deals to bring in migrants

from Iran and Syria, according to David

Fairclough, deputy director of criminal

investigation immigration enforce-

ment. His team identified and charged

38 people in the UK allegedly involved

in facilitating crossings since April. “We

have seen packages — £14,000 will get

an individual into the UK,” he said.

During their journey mem-

bers of crime gangs will be

in contact with migrants

using Whatsapp, with

a named contact in

northern France

managing the jour-

ney across the

Channel, he said.

Chris Philp, the

minister for immi-

gration compli-

ance, said: “The

French have to take

tougher action. We

need stronger enforce-

ment measures.”

Richard Ford Home Correspondent

Under wraps A stuffed impala is removed from a protective cover at the Gilbert White museum in Selborne, Hampshire. The

300th anniversary of the naturalist’s birth was marked online but his collection, at his former home, is available to visit again

Help for disadvantaged maths pupils

A leading university has launched the

first scheme of its kind for talented

young mathematicians to close the gap

in top grades between rich and poor.

Imperial College London has an-

nounced plans to raise attainment in

the further maths A level, which is

taken only by the best mathematicians.

Last year, only 36 per cent of teen-

agers from disadvantaged homes

taking further maths achieved an A or

A*, compared with 53 per cent of the

rest of their peer group. About 26 per

cent of those sitting the exam are from

private schools. Some state secondary

schools do not offer the subject and

some struggle to attract enough spe-

cialist maths teachers to teach it.

Imperial, which describes itself as

home to some of the world’s leading

mathematicians, will roll out a course

offering intensive support to A level

further maths students from deprived

backgrounds, of which it estimates

there are about 900 each year.

The programme will be funded

through a partnership with the Hg

Foundation, a not-for-profit organisa-

tion that focuses on education and

technology.

The university is also setting up a

specialist maths school with a sixth-

form college in north London.

The new programme, called Imperial

Further mA*ths, will include intensive

online support focused on raising at-

tainment and progression among stu-

dents from lower-income backgrounds.

It will give sustained support

throughout both years of sixth form

and will be supplemented by tailored

e-mentoring and masterclasses.It aims

to reach at least 150 pupils from under-

represented groups each year from

across the UK by 2022.

The course will be freely available

online. Alice Gast, president of Imperi-

al College London, said: “We believe

that a top Stem education should be

open to anyone with the right talent

and drive.”

Nicola Woolcock

Education Correspondent

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