INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightPA MediaImage caption
Hundreds of migrants have been intercepted by Border Force in the Channel this
year
Drones will monitor migrant boats attempting to reach the south east of England, pilots have been
warned.Remotely-piloted aircraft will be searching a large area of the Channel, from Eastbourne to Margate
The flights are for "the purpose of national security and protection of human life", the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said.The Home Office
said it was working to identify the "most effective" ways to "tackle small boat crossings".More than 1,700 people have crossed the Channel
since the government declared a "major incident" on 28 December 2018.The airspace restrictions came into force on 2 December and last until
The CAA said aircraft can only enter the "temporary danger areas", which can be put in place with less than 24 hours' notice, after being
cleared by air traffic control
Image copyrightCAAImage caption
Drones will search an area stretching from Eastbourne to Margate
They
are limited to 1,200ft above sea level and will not affect commercial passenger planes, the CAA said
The Home Office declined to say who would be operating and providing the drones, which will fly from Lydd Airport.It said the government was
working with "partner agencies" to "make use of available assets"
In June, former immigration minister Caroline Nokes told Parliament the UK had "recently delivered drones and other surveillance equipment
to France, enabling their law enforcement officers to intercept and disrupt attempted crossings".
