Shocking footage taken on board a small boat crossing the Channel shows it sinking with migrants using designer Nike trainers to desperately remove the water.
Around 500 migrants are making the journey today with Border Force sending out all five of its vessels to manage the crossings.
Several ‘superdinghys’ have been launched from northern France today, with some already having arrived at Dover by 9.30am.
Exclusive footage obtained by the Daily Mail shows the ‘complete chaos’ of a dinghy making its way to Britain this morning.
It is made up of men, women and children with leaders on the boat screaming ‘sit down, sit down’ as the packed boat gets into difficulty.
Orange Nike trainers are passed around the boat by the migrants to get water out of the bottom.
Several of the migrants are wearing life jackets and are cramped on the floor and hanging over the edge of the heavily packed boat.
Other footage taken during the night shows migrants also packed on a small boat.
Orange Nike trainers are passed around the boat by the migrants to get water out of the bottom
Exclusive footage obtained by the Daily Mail shows the ‘complete chaos’ of a dinghy making its way to Britain this morning
It comes on what is already an ‘extremely busy’ day with clear and calm waters.
Sources say tomorrow and Monday is also expected to be busy days for crossings, with thousands expected before Christmas.
One source said: ‘The boat is dangerously close to sinking. The migrants are using the trainers to get the water out of the boat which is coming through.
‘They are being ordered to sit down and it is clear things are heated on the boat.
Pictured: A group of migrants bein brought onto the Border Force compound in Dover, Kent, today
Pictured: Migrants arriving in Dover. Sources say tomorrow and Monday is also expected to be busy days for crossings, with thousands expected before Christmas
‘It shows just how utterly ruthless the smugglers are and how they will stop at nothing to make their profit when a window for crossings becomes available.’
Another source based in Dover said: ‘Every Border Force vessel is out this morning on the migrant situation. It’s an extremely busy day already.
‘It’s chaos out there. There’s at least 500 making the journey on several super-dinghys.
‘Sunday and Monday both look very calm and clear as well. It’s going to be very manic.’
