Migrants rescued from sinking dinghy as English Channel crossings rise

Number of small boat arrivals since 2018 believed to have passed 100,000

Several lifeboats were sent to the scene (Steve Parsons/PA) (PA Archive)

Several migrants have been pulled from the English Channel after their dinghy began to sink, amid a busy day for arrivals.

The RNLI launched lifeboats from four locations to the incident on Thursday morning, and said it believed everyone who fell into the sea had been rescued.

A spokesperson said: “Lifeboats from Dover, Ramsgate and Dungeness, along with Littlestone RNLI’s inshore lifeboat, were tasked to an incident in the Channel by HM Coastguard.

“On arrival at the scene, some casualties were found to be in the water. All casualties are believed to be accounted for and were brought to safety by the RNLI’s volunteer crews.”

At least 50 people are thought to have drowned attempting to cross the Channel since 2018, while others have lost their lives attempting to board lorries and trains in France, or walk through the Channel Tunnel.

The latest incident came amid reports of a high number of crossings in the English Channel on Thursday morning, which saw calm seas and warm weather.

Women and children were among the people seen being taken ashore by rescue crews in Dover.

The Care4Calais charity said the “near-tragedy” demonstrated the danger of trying to cross the Channel and “why no one would attempt it unless they were truly desperate”.

“Yesterday the French authorities reported six children suffering from hypothermia had been been taken to hospital after their boat went down off the coast near Sangatte,” a spokesperson added.

“In northern France this morning we have seen large numbers of people trying to dry wet clothes – usually a sign that they have tried to cross, and failed.”

It follows weeks of unseasonably windy and rough conditions that have suppressed the number of dinghies making the journey below the summer averages seen in previous years.

More than 15,000 people have arrived on small boats so far this year, compared to around 18,600 by the same point of 2022.

(AFP via Getty Images)

But Thursday’s arrivals tipped the total number of small boat migrants to arrive in the UK since 2018 over 100,000.

The latest Home Office statistics show that 92 per cent of small boat migrants in the period have claimed asylum, but only 16 per cent of their applications have been decided. Of those, two thirds were granted.

The milestone was hit during the government’s unofficially-declared “small boats week”, which it has used to make a series of announcements regarding efforts to combat crossings.

Monday saw the first asylum seekers moved onto the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset, which had been hampered by delays and safety concerns.

After being forced to reverse transfer notices for at least 20 migrants, which had been issued in violation of Home Office guidance, it issued “threatening” letters telling selected people to move onto the barge or face having government housing withdrawn.

The government has also announced a crackdown on immigration lawyers it claims are helping migrants “exploit” the system, and a new partnership with Turkey to disrupt the supply of dinghies.