The United Kingdom (UK) border security and French vessels launched a massive air and sea rescue operation after a mega-dinghy carrying over 157 people, attempting to cross the Channel from France, caught fire and capsized.
According to French officials, there were around 162 people on the boat; however, five were rescued earlier and taken back to Boulogne in a separate incident. Reports suggest the remaining decided to continue their journey and now they have also been rescued after the engine fire incident.
The Royal National Lifeboat Association (RNLI) also participated in the rescue operation using an all-weather lifeboat, which, according to the charity which saves lives at sea, was launched at 6 a.m. on Tuesday.
Reacting to the situation, the British political party Reform UK has proposed to send the immigrants back to France and Belgium using the Royal Navy, under a program dubbed “Operation Fortress.”
In a post on X, Nigel Farage wrote, “We must put a stop to this. Our plan will save lives.”
Another politician from the same party said, “Just like Reform policy: rescue and return. It’s the humanitarian thing to do. We must stop people dying.”
This marks the second largest number of migrants on a single boat trying to cross the Channel into the UK. On July 23, a boat carrying around 165 passengers arrived in the UK.
The Prime Minister Andy Burnham has vowed to stop illegal Channel crossings into the country and the government has placed several deterrents in place. However, despite the efforts, nearly 2,000 people have crossed into the UK since Burnham became PM.
2026-08-04 19:47:00
