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BBC Breakfast’s correspondent Simon Jones was back in Dover this morning, but instead of reporting live from a boat on the channel like he has previously done, he was on dry land. Following yesterday’s footage which showed dangerously full rubber dinghies, packed with asylum seekers, trying to get to British shores, it seems the news programme took a different tact when delivering the latest in regards to channel crossings. Many criticised its former coverage and questioned whether or not the content should’ve been transmitted. 

Louise Minchin and Jon Kay crossed from the studio to Simon in Dover and he explained: “It’s another very calm day here in Dover, if you look out towards the channel, there’s hardly a ripple on it. 

“I think it’s going to be another busy day for the lifeboats and also the border force and the coast guard here. 

“As we’re likely to see rescues in the channel, we’ve got the immigration compliance minister going over to France to talk to his counterparts about what can be done about this,” he added. 

“In the past few days here on Breakfast, we’ve seen at close hand what’s happening in the channel. 

“We took to a boat yesterday morning and also on Friday morning, and the thing that struck me, on both occasions, we hadn’t been out in the channel for very long before we came across boats. 

“And that gives you an idea of just how prevalent this has become,” Simon continued. 

“A lot of time we’re talking about statistics, there were more than 200 last week, more than a thousand during the course of the month. 

“But when you get out on the channel, you realise how dangerous this is – because these are very small boats, they are overloaded, they are passing through the busiest shipping lane in the world. 

“Now, on both occasions [when BBC reported from a boat on the water] we made sure the people on board felt safe and we were asked on the first occasion to shadow the boat as it headed towards the coastline to make sure they were okay, because the Border Force were busy dealing with other incidents in the channel.” he revealed. 

After yesterday’s footage was posted to various social media channels, there was a huge backlash.

Some of the comments included: “We’re paying BBC journalists to stalk dinghies of desperate human being seeking refuge now? That’s where we’re at as a society?” 

“Shameful use of license payers money. Disgusting journalism of the worst kind,” another wrote. 

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Someone else added: “This makes me ashamed to call myself British. Disgusted that the #BBCBreakfast reporter and crew sailed along side and commented on refugees sinking whilst they watch and then felt it was ok to air this propaganda piece. SHAME ON YOU!” 

“This is the lowest form of journalism #BBCBreakfast @BBCNews,” another remarked. 

One said: “Real news would involve talking to the people in the boat and let us hear their stories. Just pause for one moment and consider how those people feel with news boats and cameras circling them?” 

“That boat looks so unsafe and they are bailing it out. Don’t just stand and watch, for goodness sake help them!” another tweet read. 

Simon did ask those on board if they were okay and where they had travelled from, which they revealed was Syria. 

Those on board were wearing life jackets, but the footage showed some using a plastic container to try and “bail out” the boat. 

BBC Breakfast are also not the only channel to deliver live coverage of the migrant crossings, a week or two ago, Good Morning Britain had sent Jonathan Swain out to sea where he came across another jam-packed dinghy. 

Viewers watching BBC today were quick to praise the change in Simon’s reporting with one sharing: “Thanks for keeping this story in the news it will effect us all in the end.” 

Another added: “Keep up the good work Simon.” 

And another simply said: “Keep reporting.” 

BBC Breakfast airs every day at 6am on BBC One. 

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