The likelihood of migrant boats landing on the Isle of Wight remains ‘extremely low’, the Isle of Wight Council has said following Sunday’s major incident.
The local authority has moved to address questions and concerns raised by Island residents after more than 150 migrants were intercepted in the English Channel on Sunday.
As first reported by Island Echo, Bembridge and Yarmouth RNLI lifeboats were tasked at around 10:35 to a large dinghy roughly halfway between the Isle of Wight and Cherbourg.
More than 150 people were subsequently taken aboard the Island’s lifeboats before being brought ashore at Eastney Beach in Portsmouth, where a significant multi-agency operation was established.
The Isle of Wight Council has now confirmed that its officers were involved in the multi-agency response throughout Sunday and into the early hours of Monday, working alongside Border Force, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Police.
The statement released by the Isle of Wight Council said:
“During the events of Sunday and into the early hours of Monday, Isle of Wight Council officers were engaged with the multi-agency response and worked closely with Border Force, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the police to maintain situational awareness.
We received confirmation from Border Force that the people involved in the crossing would not be brought ashore on the Isle of Wight. The intention throughout was for those on board the vessel to be landed on the mainland and transported to Kent.”
Article continues below this advertisement
The Council has also sought to reassure Islanders about the prospect of similar vessels reaching the Island in the future.
It says current assessments continue to indicate that the likelihood of small boats arriving directly on the Isle of Wight – or people intercepted during such crossings being brought to the Island – remains “extremely low”.
Furthermore, the Council says it has received no notification that the Isle of Wight is being considered as a location for either the disembarkation or processing of people arriving on small boats.
Responsibility for border security and immigration enforcement rests with the UK Government and its agencies.
However, the local authority says it remains in regular contact with the Home Office and partner agencies, saying:
“Nevertheless, we remain in regular contact with the Home Office and partner agencies to ensure the Isle of Wight’s interests, concerns and particular circumstances are made clear. We will also make representations to government through the Island’s MPs.”
Councillor Jonathan Bacon, Leader of the Isle of Wight Council, has thanked those involved in Sunday’s operation.
He said:
“I would like to thank the RNLI lifeboat crews, HM Coastguard, emergency services and all those involved in responding to this incident. Their professionalism, expertise and cooperation helped ensure the situation was managed safely and effectively.
“We understand residents may have questions about this issue and are committed to providing factual information where appropriate. We will continue to work with our partner agencies to ensure relevant information is shared through official channels.
“We would encourage residents to rely on trusted sources of information and avoid sharing unverified claims or rumours online.”
They won’t be on a dinghy.
More likely collected by a charity that pays no tax. That provides a free service to clients!!!. With the bonus of free accommodation and plenty of money.
Eventually, these new assets to our nation will be able to bring the whole family.
It’s OK. They are all doctors and engineers. “The brightest and the best” we were told. So that’s OK then. Obviously it must be true as it was politicians who assured us.
The public sector is assuring us,
personally I don’t believe anything the public sector
tell us.
How much is council tax going up next year is my
concern, not to mention the extortionate ferry fares.
That will keep increasing if they keep accepting these people and give them free free free. Someone has to pay for them. Will they deport…..probably not..
Rely on trusted sources, what like the government…… are they reliable, of course not, they don’t tell the local authorities about setting up migrant camps until it has happened usually…. It was heading towards Sandown, if you look at the tracking data, only once it was intercepted did the illegal boat veer over to Portsmouth.
They could have parked on the FREE CAR PARK outside
the old tourist information centre opposite Sandown Pier.
Beats paying parking fees.
Lol
I recently visited Steynewood Battery originally built about 1880 to repel invaders from France. It covered the only possible landing site which is Sandown Bay. How times have changed. We go and meet them now and bring them to our shores
Is the IWC and PPC able to reassure Islanders that the kind of far-right thuggery seen in Portsmouth at the weekend could be robustly managed if a dinghy does make it to our shores?
Despite the vile xenophobia seen in Island Echo comments, I do not believe that most Islanders would wish to see harm befall irregular migrants, but there is a risk that the cowardly thugs who attended Dover and Portsmouth could arrive here in response to landings of asylum seekers.
Oh good , yet another descriptive used to describe criminal illegal migrants, you now want to call them irregular migrants, did you go on a two week fully funded DEI course to come up with that word.Is it any wonder when we have people like you that people now dress up in black and fully masked to try and repel these freeloading invaders.
I’m sick of this rhetoric. I’m leaving this here before I, and others who are also sick of it take action.
THEY ARE ASYLUM SEEKERS. Your right to freedom of expression noes not override their protected characteristics.
While the phrase might not automatically trigger a police arrest on its own, it almost universally violates the Hate Speech and Harassment Policies of major tech platforms (like Meta, X, and TikTok). [1, 2]
Human Rights & Global Standards
From a human rights and sociological perspective, international bodies strongly condemn this phrasing:
I know that xenophobes can be a bit thick, so I’ll explain this in simple terms for you:
It really is that simple. It’s not an invasion. It’s desperate people seeking safety.
I’m delighted that the UK is a safe space and one that internationally is seen as one protective of refugees. It shows that the UK still has a heart.
The best efforts of poorly-informed racists, xenophobes and cowardly masked hooligans will never defeat the respect, kindness and tolerance of the majority of UK citizens.
Some of them are already here, just waiting for the nod from their right wing handlers for permission to be even nastier than they are now. A lot of people are somewhat silently tolerating the legitimate immigrants…just think what will happen if the patriot thugs get the green light?
The day after the Brexit vote I witnessed, first hand, the animosity directed towards foreign people who’ve lived here for decades (some even born here) that the previous day they shared coffees with. Even mild xenophobia hurts.
It’s like a disgusting disease and it’s a darned sight more contagious than most people realise.
The (inaccurate) quote of ‘the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to look on and do nothing’, is relevant everywhere today. The good people don’t call it out, don’t get involved, don’t say ‘I object’.
I’m glad there’s a few of us brave enough to.
Quite so.
My neighbours are migrants.
My work mates are migrants.
I love living in a diverse culture.
My views will not be changed by stupid racists and violent thugs in balaclavas.
They should not be able to go and get everything for free
There’s a lot of people on the island that are homeless
Make them go back to where they’ve come from
If there was a bridge we wouldn’t be able to stop them
Just stay away from our island
Why don’t they just sink the damn boats to stop them crossing
The French are paid BY BRITAIN to stop them crossing not follow them and do nothing.
Really? You’d have stood by and watched them all drown? The eight children and 20 women included or do you pick and choose who might be worthy of the life you take for granted?
What a thoroughly hateful, nasty person you are.
All very well and good useless bunch of wombles but I want you to assure residents of Upton Road the dog pooh bin(which we pay for in Council taxes)will be reinstated in Haylands Copse,otherwise Council face a mounting bag of full pooh bags left in a mound where poo bin should be!!!,….it will soon become a health hazard and we are as dog owners cleaning up behind our dogs the charity who “look after”!? this Green space say”not our concern*fence sitters but they must have been informed this vital facility was being removed?.Deform must have a policy for this after all their policies are s..t