A boat carrying 157 migrants capsized in the English Channel on Tuesday after its engine caught fire. The migrants were rescued from the water by French vessels, assisted by two British Border Security Command boats and an RNLI lifeboat, and are being taken to Boulogne-sur-Mer, according to French authorities.
Rescue operation details
The dinghy caught fire while still in the French search and rescue region on Tuesday morning, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said. A total of 54 migrants were taken to France on the British vessels. There have been no reported fatalities, the UK Government said.
In a translated statement, French authorities said the decision was initially made not to force the migrants to board rescue vessels to “avoid endangering their lives”.
Government response
A UK Government spokesperson said: “This morning, the Border Security Command was alerted to an incident in the Channel concerning a migrant small boat in distress in French waters. British vessels supported a French search and rescue operation. This is a live rescue operation but at this stage there have been no fatalities reported. Those on board will be safely returned to France.
“This incident underlines the terrible dangers of small boat crossings. We continue to work relentlessly with the French and our partners overseas to prevent these perilous journeys.”
One of the biggest crossing attempts
The number of people on the boat, which left the beach at Veules-les-Roses, near Dieppe, on Monday night, makes it one of the biggest ever to attempt to cross the Channel. A record 165 migrants crossed in a single vessel last month in a 13m (42ft) boat dubbed a “mega dinghy” by the media.
A coastguard spokesperson said: “A vessel caught fire earlier this morning whilst in the French search and rescue region. UK vessels and a lifeboat are assisting.” An RNLI spokesperson said Eastbourne’s all-weather lifeboat launched at 6am on Tuesday.
Political context
The incident comes a day after Reform UK proposed using the Royal Navy to return migrants to France or Belgium under a plan called Operation Fortress.
