Around 140 migrants in a single inflatable dinghy launched from the Normandy coast on Saturday night, requested help in UK waters and were rescued by two RNLI boats before being taken to shore in the UK, according to the French coastguard.
French rescue boats shadowed the dinghy for around 10 hours. Lifeboats from Bembridge and Yarmouth met the people on board when the vessel reached UK waters.
Unusual departure point
The latest dinghy launched in the Bay of the Seine. French authorities said it was unusual for the migrant boat to depart from the area, which they said was 170 miles away from the usual launches around Calais.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron met on Thursday for bilateral talks to discuss efforts to reduce small boat crossings.
Downing Street said 45 extra police officers are being deployed to French beaches in a “surge team”.
A Home Office spokesperson said joint efforts had prevented over 48,000 crossing attempts and resulted in 1,100 boats and engines being seized since the election.
The spokesperson said the government had signed a payment-by-results deal with the French to put 40% more boots on the ground on French beaches. They said: “This government is bearing down on dangerous small boat crossings and restoring control at our border.”
English Channel crossings
A total of 16,513 people crossed the English Channel by small boat from France between 1 January and 1 September 2026. Crossings during that period were down by 43% on the same period the previous year.
At least 84 people died while attempting to cross the Channel in 2024, according to the United Nations.
Source: BBC News
