More than 130 migrants have crossed the English Channel so far today, as dozens of others were rescued when their small boat got into difficulties off the French coast.

Several French maritime rescue vessels responded to reports that some migrants had ended up in the sea near Calais.

GB News understands a number of people were pulled from the water and taken to the port at Calais.

There are no reports of any casualties, and the rescue operation has now been stood down.

The latest rescue follows the deaths of five migrants, including a young girl, when their dangerously overcrowded boat got into difficulties near Boulogne last Tuesday.

That boat was packed with an unprecedented 112 people after a large group of migrants from Africa stormed the boat as it was launching and forced their way onboard.

Two males, one from Sudan, the other from South Sudan, have been charged with immigration offences relating to the incident and are due to appear in court in Folkestone on Tuesday.

Despite deteriorating weather conditions in the Channel today, GB News can reveal that at least 130 migrants have made it to UK waters in three small boats.

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The illegal arrivals were taken to the Border Force migrant processing centre in Dover.

GB News was given access to that facility over the weekend and saw some of the small boats which authorities said were "completely unseaworthy".

The vessels, which are made to order for the criminal gangs in back street factories, are prone to puncturing and splitting at the seams, especially when they are overloaded with dozens of migrants.

Today's latest arrivals take the number of Channel migrants who have reached the UK to more than 1,000 in the past week.

So far this year, more than 7,300 migrants have made the illegal journey from France.

That figure is well ahead of the 5,745 people who arrived by small boat at the same point last year.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "The unacceptable number of people who continue to cross the Channel demonstrates exactly why we must get flights to Rwanda off the ground as soon as possible.

"We continue to work closely with French police who are facing increasing violence and disruption on their beaches as they work tirelessly to prevent these dangerous, illegal and unnecessary journeys."