British life-savers responded to desperate calls from more than 70 migrants crammed onto a dinghy in the treacherous North Sea, a newly-released Coastguard log reveals.
The group contacted Kent Police, desperately stating that they could only see water from their sinking vessel, stranded in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. The dinghy, with children on board, was deemed to be in ‘grave and imminent danger,’ prompting the Border Force (BF) and RNLI to mobilize.
According to incident logs obtained by Metro.co.uk, one of the occupants pleaded, ‘Hello hello help me please.’ The report also indicates that responders were alerted to ‘migrants in the water’ during the emergency on September 14th last year.
The dangerous nature of crossing between the French beaches and the British coast was tragically underscored today when at least five people died attempting the journey after a boat left the town of Wimereux. As local police patrolled the beach, the French coastguard reported several ‘lifeless bodies’ on a ‘busy’ day for crossings.
This tragedy coincides with the stalled government plan to deport some migrants arriving in the UK via small boats to Rwanda, which is set to become law after clearing Parliament. Coordinates in the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) document pinpoint the boat’s location in the strait between England and France, north of the established Channel route used by people-trafficking gangs.
The log places the vessel five nautical miles east off East Goodwin Lightvessel, just over halfway towards the Kent coast. The Lightvessel serves as a warning to mariners of the notorious Goodwin Sands, known for numerous shipwrecks throughout history.
The BF’s Ranger catamaran, supported by a drone, three sister vessels, and an RNLI lifeboat, rushed to the scene as UK emergency services received frantic calls from migrants in ‘windy and frantic’ conditions. A police message relayed to the responders stated, ‘They can only see water, 80 POB [persons on board], come from France, water coming into boat.’
The Coastguard initiated a ‘distress phase’ as the small boat entered the UK search and rescue zone and faced ‘grave and imminent danger,’ according to the document. Approaching the dinghy, the Ranger reported that the ‘target’ was ‘dead in the water.’ The crew rescued 72 people, transferring them to Ramsgate Harbour as a sister ship, Blue Norther, retrieved the dinghy.
Details about the persons in the water are limited, but all those making the crossing were reported to be ‘recovered safe and well.’
The report is one of several logs obtained by Metro.co.uk, highlighting the perilous journeys undertaken by people squeezing into small boats to cross one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Released by the MCA following a Freedom of Information Act request, the logs reveal that large groups continue to attempt crossings despite the government’s partnerships with France aimed at reducing the flow.
The MCA provided 28 reports of rescues involving 70 or more people attempting to cross from France to the UK last year. The Prime Minister has prioritized ‘stopping the boats,’ announcing that the first flights relocating asylum seekers to Rwanda will commence in 10 to 12 weeks. He stated at a press conference that preparations, including an airfield and secured charter plane, are underway. The bill is set to become law after passing through Westminster.
Asli Tatliadim, head of campaigns at Refugee Action, commented, ‘People continue to crowd into unsafe boats to cross the Channel because the government refuses to open safe routes for asylum seekers to reach the UK. No amount of expensive, impractical, and hostile deterrence policies, such as the grim deal with Rwanda, will change this.’
The Home Office maintains that since 2015, 550,000 people have made safe and legal passages to the UK. A range of measures have been implemented since Rishi Sunak took office to address the crossings.
A spokesperson for the Home Office stated, ‘The unacceptable number of people crossing the Channel demonstrates the urgency of implementing flights to Rwanda as soon as possible. We continue to work closely with French police, who face increasing violence and disruption on their shores as they work tirelessly to prevent these dangerous, illegal, and unnecessary journeys. We remain committed to sustaining the successes that have seen arrivals decrease by more than a third last year, employing tougher legislation and agreements with international partners to save lives and stop the boats.’
The RNLI, as an independent charity, has also been involved in rescues, responding to emergency calls from Her Majesty’s Coastguard, which is part of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
A spokesperson for the MCA said, ‘HM Coastguard works with the French Coastguard in the English Channel to ensure people are recovered as safely as possible. HM Coastguard will continue to respond to those in distress at sea and in coastal areas of the UK, in accordance with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.’
