Moment migrants escorted again to UK after mega-dinghy almost collapses with 230 on board
Several migrants who were on an ill-fated mega-dinghy caught in the Channel carrying a record 230 migrants have been pictured being brought back to the UK. It comes after officials claimed the boat was was “buckling” in the water and could have resulted in a disaster, French rescuers have cautioned.
The French lifeboat crew stationed at Berck-sur-Mer reported that the dinghy was 15m (49ft) long, and already ferrying around 50 passengers when it was seen heading towards a beach to collect more. The passenger count surpasses the previous record from July when 165 individuals successfully completed the crossing.
People traffickers have been escalating the number of migrants packed into boats, a strategy the Government has denounced as “reckless and dangerous”.
The SNMS team, akin 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. A portion of the group became stranded by the tide and had to be rescued, a translated statement revealed.
The overloaded dinghy was depicted as “buckling under the swell” as it navigated towards the UK. It was transporting 232 migrants until two individuals requested help and were taken to Calais. Rescuers’ efforts “helped avert a tragedy”, the statement further added.
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 group of migrants were later seen being escorted onto UK land via the BSC Courageous ship, although it is unclear exactly how many were on it. Images show at least 20 migrants dressed in towels and life-jackets being escorted by uniformed rescuers, while at Dover Docks in Kent.
This close call follows an incident earlier this month when a dinghy carrying 173 people capsized in the Channel after its engine ignited.
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 also 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.”
