A Channel migrant is under investigation after an incident in which Border Force and private security officers were allegedly attacked and assaulted.
GB News has been told the incident took place on Friday, as a group of around 40 asylum seekers were being transferred by a Border Force chartered bus from Dover harbour.
The bus was travelling to the military site at Manston in Kent, where Border Force operates a Channel migrant processing facility.
A source has told GB News that one of the migrants launched what he described as an “unprovoked attack” on two Border Force officers, and an Interforce private security officer.
The 21-year-old migrant was arrested by officers from Kent police after the bus reached Manston airport.
Migrants arriving in the UK
Gareth Fuller
The source claims a male Border Force officer has been left with “potentially life-altering nerve damage to his shoulder.”
A female Border Force officer was left with “extensive bruising” and the Interforce officer was allegedly bitten.
The source said that, although assaults were rare, migrants being transferred to Manston are not routinely handcuffed, even though they are initially placed under arrest.
He said: “Only a handful of Border Force officers and security staff are assigned to each bus.
File photo dated 01/08/22 of a group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Ramsgate, Kent, onboard a Border Force vessel following a small boat incident in the Channel
Gareth Fuller
"Those officers I’ve spoken to are amazed these incidents aren’t more frequent.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We do not comment on live police investigations.
"The safety of our officers is our utmost priority.“
"All small boats operational activities are risk assessed and are subject to review in the rare instances when incidents do occur. To suggest otherwise is completely wrong.”
GB News has been told that there were just two reported assaults on Border Force staff at Dover harbour in the whole of last year.
It is understood that a review of the latest incident between Dover and Manston has been carried out and lessons have been learned in terms of trying to identify potentially disruptive individuals.
