French coastguard and RNLI boats rescue 140 migrants in a single dinghy crossing the English Channel from Normandy.
French coastguard and RNLI boats rescued 140 migrants in a single dinghy that launched from the Normandy coast. The inflatable vessel reached UK waters at lunchtime and was met by lifeboats from Bembridge and Yarmouth.
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The dinghy launched from the Bay of Seine, which is 170 miles away from the usual launch points around Calais, making the crossing significantly longer than typical routes. French authorities stated it was not safe to attempt to stop the dinghy on the water, so they shadowed the vessel for approximately 10 hours. Local officials noted an increase in people departing from Normandy. The Home Office stated that the government is working to restore control at the border and has prevented over 48,000 crossing attempts since the election. To address the larger vessels, the administration announced a payment-by-results deal with France to put 40% more boots on the ground on French beaches. Additionally, 45 extra police officers are being deployed to French beaches in a surge team to tackle larger dinghies.