More than 150 migrants rescued after Channel boat fire

More than 150 migrants were rescued in the English Channel on Tuesday after the engine of their small boat caught fire during an attempted crossing to the United Kingdom, French authorities said.

The French maritime prefecture for the Channel and North Sea said 157 people were rescued and were being taken to Boulogne-sur-Mer. There were no reports of deaths or injuries. Rescue boats from both France and the UK joined the operation after the vessel’s condition worsened rapidly in French waters.

The boat had left France on Monday night, French authorities said. Overnight, five people on board asked to be rescued and were evacuated. The remaining passengers refused assistance from French patrol boats and continued toward the UK, authorities said.

“Determined to reach the United Kingdom, migrants crossing the Channel in small boats refused assistance offered by French emergency service, accepting it only in situations of extreme emergency,” the maritime prefecture said in a statement.

Authorities said they did not intervene further at that stage because of the “structural fragility” of the boats used for Channel crossings. On Tuesday morning, the engine caught fire and the “vessel’s integrity deteriorated very rapidly,” prompting a wider rescue response. Al Jazeera reported that some people had jumped into the sea.

Two French boats rescued 103 migrants, while British vessels rescued 54. UK assets involved included the RNLI Eastbourne lifeboat and Border Force vessels BSC Contender and BSC Courageous. The migrants were expected to arrive in Boulogne-sur-Mer at about 12:30 p.m. local time, or 11:30 a.m. BST, for treatment.

A UK government spokesperson said the Border Security Command was alerted to “an incident in the Channel this morning concerning a migrant small boat in distress in French waters.” British vessels assisted, the spokesperson said, adding that no fatalities had been reported.

The incident “underlines the terrible dangers of small boat crossings,” the spokesperson said. “We continue to work relentlessly with the French and our partners overseas to prevent these perilous journeys.”

The UK Coastguard said earlier: “A vessel caught fire earlier this morning whilst in the French search and rescue region. UK vessels and a lifeboat are assisting.”

The rescue came a day after Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged that his government would be “relentless” in curbing small-boat arrivals. During a visit to Dover on Monday, Burnham said “people want to see this issue addressed.” He said enforcement officers targeting people-smuggling gangs had been doubled on both sides of the Channel, while adding that “a system that offers safe routes for people” also needed to be built.

Since Burnham became prime minister two weeks ago, more than 2,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats. Home Office figures cited by the BBC show crossings so far this year are down about 43% compared with the same point last year, after peaking in 2022 and declining since. Last Wednesday was the busiest day for crossings so far this year, with 752 migrants arriving in the UK.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “This is why it’s so wrong that French police stand by and do nothing while the illegal migrant boats embark — lives are being risked.” Reform UK leader Nigel Farage wrote on X: “We must put a stop to this. Our plan will save lives.” His party said earlier this week that, if in government, it would deploy the navy to ward off crossings.

Al Jazeera reported that UK rules generally require a person to be in the country to lodge an asylum application and do not allow asylum claims from overseas. Amnesty International has argued this makes it “impossible” for people abroad to seek asylum in the UK, Al Jazeera reported.