Nigel Farage has warned that the migrant crisis in the Channel could soon mirror the Mediterranean, as a record 230 people were detected crossing in a single boat. The Reform UK leader described the situation as a “national security crisis” and called for the Royal Navy to turn boats back to France.
Record-Breaking Crossing
The boat, described as a “mega dinghy” measuring 49 feet, carried the equivalent of a Boeing 737's capacity. It was taken into Dover docks at 2:30am, setting a new record. Rescue crews in Berck-sur-Mer reported that the boat was already carrying about 50 people when it headed to a beach to pick up more passengers.
During the rush to board, about 30 people ended up in the water, and part of the group became cut off by the tide and had to be rescued. The crowded dinghy was “buckling under the swell” as it headed towards the UK. It was carrying 232 migrants until two people asked for assistance and were taken to Calais.
Farage's Warning
Farage said: "A mega dinghy is not a dinghy, is it? A boat carrying 230 people was taken into Dover docks at 2:30am this morning. That's a record. And we are rapidly heading towards the Mediterranean - there will be thousands coming every single day. You can't smash the gangs. It's impossible. We can catch a gang leader, we can give him 20 years in prison, we can fine them millions of Euros, it doesn't matter. The rewards are so great somebody else pops up. We've even got dinghies regularly leaving Dieppe, which is in Normandy. We're now looking at a stretch of coastline 130 miles long from which these boats can leave. There is only one way to stop this - if you get to the 12-mile line, the Royal Navy using Border Force boats... to take them back to France. If we did that, within a couple of weeks there would be no more boats."
Political Reaction
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: "This is now beyond a joke. The French authorities could easily have stopped a vessel this size from embarking in shallow waters. I recently saw for myself French Gendarmes shamefully standing by and doing nothing while illegal immigrants boarded in knee deep water. Shabana Mahmood is handing over £660 million of our money while this happens. It’s a disgrace. Out of touch Andy Burnham claims there is no problem. There clearly is. If he was serious he would adopt the Conservative plan to leave the ECHR and deport all illegal immigrants within a week of arrival. Then the crossings would soon stop."
Previous Incident
This record-breaking crossing follows an emergency last week when 173 people were rescued from a dinghy which caught fire. The previous record was set in July when 165 people made the crossing. A maritime security source said: "Quite frankly, it’s miraculous that no one has died."
On the latest boat, five people initially asked to be rescued because the boat was in such a bad way. The rest chose to continue. Later, the engine caught fire, believed to be caused by a fuel leak, causing mass panic. Those onboard jumped into the water and the boat capsized.
Official Response
A Home Office spokesperson said: "This latest incident demonstrates the reckless and dangerous tactics employed by the criminal gangs facilitating these crossings, who continue to put lives at risk by cramming ever greater numbers of people onto unseaworthy vessels. We are making progress, with the number of small boat crossings down this year and the lowest number recorded for the month of July since 2020. But we must go further, which is why we have signed a payment-by-results deal with the French to put 40% more boots on the ground on French beaches."
Some 258 migrants arrived in the UK in four boats on Saturday, and 423 arrived in five boats on Sunday. The provisional total for the year so far is 15,242 – 42% lower than the same time last year and down 14% on 2024.
