RNLI lifeboats have once again been launched to intercept a small boat carrying illegal migrants, which is heading across the English Channel towards the Isle of Wight.
The French vessel ‘Abeille Liberte’ has been shadowing the migrants, who are thought to have left French shores near Caen at around 21:00 last night (Monday).
They’ve now been escorted into the middle of the Channel – and into British waters.
Tracking puts the small boat, which is thought to have up to 100 people on board, on course to be coming ashore near the Isle of Wight. Conditions in the Channel are calm and the weather is good.
Despite this, the decision has been taken to launch All Weather Lifeboats from Eastbourne and Hastings – instead of nearer stations such as Bembridge, Yarmouth or Selsey – to go to the migrants’ aid.
It is currently unclear where on British soil the lifeboats will land the illegal migrants for processing.
Today’s migrant crossing comes just over 2 weeks after more than 150 migrants were intercepted in the English Channel by Isle of Wight lifeboat crews.
Bembridge RNLI and Yarmouth RNLI were tasked on Sunday 6th September to waters around halfway between the Isle of Wight and Cherbourg, later bringing the migrants ashore at Eastney Beach in Portsmouth.
The arrival of migrants sparked mass protests in Pompey, with crowds blocking coaches from leaving the area.
The incident prompted Reform UK Isle of Wight to warn that direct migrant landings on the Isle of Wight were now a ‘tangible possibility’, with the party claiming larger dinghies capable of travelling greater distances represented a change in tactics.
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Another waste of peoples donations,RNLI have more important roles rather than escorting boats which are coming here illegally, it’s the job of Border Force and Navy
Could we please avoid any histrionic response to this, the RNLI once tasked have a statutory duty to attend (whatever the personal thoughts of the crew are).
can we not find a bigger launch and dump Farage and all his hate filled trolls on it tow it to the middle of the Solent and scuttle it and tell RNLI to ignore it it’s cargo isn’t worth a place on this planet!.