Migrants from a record-breaking Channel crossing attempt were brought back to UK shores after their overloaded dinghy nearly collapsed. The vessel, carrying 230 migrants, was described as "buckling in the water" and could have resulted in a disaster, according to French rescuers.
Rescue operation details
The French lifeboat crew at Berck-sur-Mer reported that the 15-metre dinghy was already carrying around 50 passengers when it headed towards a beach to collect more. The passenger count surpassed the previous record from July when 165 individuals crossed successfully. The SNMS team, similar to the UK's RNLI, stated that approximately 30 people ended up in the water during the scramble to board at around 5pm on Sunday. Some were stranded by the tide and had to be rescued.
The overloaded dinghy was "buckling under the swell" as it headed for the UK, carrying 232 migrants until two individuals requested help and were taken to Calais. Rescuers' efforts "helped avert a tragedy", the statement added.
Political reaction
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said French authorities should have halted the dinghy. "This is now beyond a joke," he declared. "The French authorities could easily have stopped a vessel this size from embarking in shallow waters. I recently witnessed French Gendarmes standing idly by while illegal immigrants waded into the water to board boats. Shabana Mahmood is handing over £660 million of our money while this is happening. It's a disgrace."
A Home Office spokesperson commented: "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."
Downing Street condemnation
Downing Street condemned the "ruthless" people-smuggling gangs "prepared to risk human lives for profit". The Prime Minister's official spokesperson stated: "We've seen today some appalling images, haven't we, of young babies being put into these unseaworthy craft, and they're shocking images, and they show the reality behind the ruthless smuggling gangs that are prepared to risk human lives for profit. That's exactly why the Government has signed a new payment-by-results deal with the French to prevent these perilous journeys from happening in the first place. As the Prime Minister has said, we're not complacent and we are bearing down on these crossings, and that's reflected in the joint action that's prevented 47,000 attempted crossings since the election."
Images showed at least 20 migrants, dressed in towels and life-jackets, being escorted by uniformed rescuers from the BSC Courageous ship at Dover Docks in Kent. This incident follows a similar close call earlier this month when a dinghy carrying 173 people capsized after its engine ignited.
