Dozens of migrants who landed on Portuguese beach face deportation within weeks

Migrants landed on Burgau Beach in Portugal (Image: Getty Images)

Dozens of migrants who landed on a Portuguese beach are facing deportation within weeks. 38 asylum seekers arrived on the Algarve coast after travelling up to 250 miles in a 15 foot boat, and were discovered and detained by police near Burgau, a popular tourist destination only four miles from Praia da Luz, where British toddler Madeleine McCann disappeared in 2007. During the group's five day voyage on the Atlantic, four people perished, one of the Moroccan nationals claimed.

Now, the 25 men, six women and seven children are set to be returned to their native country. Tourists and locals watched on as the group landed on Boca do Rio beach. Three of the vessel's younger occupants, aged 12 months, eight and ten, were taken to a paediatric emergency clinic in Faro. An adult male was also taken to a hospital in Portimão, but all were discharged soon after. The arrivals were handed camp beds at a sports hall in Vila do Bispo and guarded by the authorities.

50,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel since Labour won the general election in 2024. (Image: Getty)

The individuals were also provided with food kits, which had in them biscuits, juice, milk, bread, pâté, fruit and water, as well as toothpaste, toothbrushes, sanitary pads and bath products, the MailOnline reported.

Thirty-one were taken to a court in Silves on Saturday afternoon, and were given 20 days to voluntarily return to their home state.

If they did not abide by the order, they faced being forcefully returned within 60 days.

A separate court hearing in Lagos is to decide how officials will deal with the remaining seven migrants – a mother and father, along with their three children, a 14-year-old boy and a man who is believed to have problems with his kidneys.

They have all since been moved to secure detention centres in Lisbon, Faro and Porto.

It comes as more than 50,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel since Labour won the 2024 general election.

Keir Starmer is under pressure to crack down on migrant crossings to the UK. (Image: Getty)

Home Office figures show 474 migrants arrived by small boat on Monday alone, which brings recorded arrivals to 50,271 since the election on July 4 2024.

Labour former home secretary Baroness Smith of Malvern had said earlier on Tuesday that reaching the milestone is “unacceptable”.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Labour’s promise to “smash the criminal boat gangs” in its manifesto last year was “just a slogan”, with crossings now “so much worse” than they were before the vote.

There have been 27,029 arrivals so far this year, which is 47% higher than at the same point of 2024 when the figure stood at 18,342, and 67% higher than at the same time in 2023 (16,170).