French authorities deployed five vessels and two helicopters to monitor a migrant boat carrying about 120 people towards Britain, but rescuers declined to intervene before the vessel crossed into British waters, citing concerns that doing so could endanger those on board.
The Prefecture of Manche is understood to have spent up to £90,000 on the operation, which followed the departure of the overcrowded dinghy from Normandy’s Utah Beach.
Four of the five vessels involved belonged to the SNSM, France’s voluntary sea-rescue organisation. The rescuers shadowed the boat but did not attempt to transfer its occupants to their vessels.
A spokesman for the Prefecture of Manche said: “Determined to reach the United Kingdom, migrants making the crossing in makeshift vessels refuse the assistance offered by French services and only accept it when faced with situations of extreme urgency.
“Given the structural fragility of the boats, which are consistently overloaded, the decision has been taken not to force migrants to board state-run rescue vessels, so as to avoid putting their lives at risk in the event of a shipwreck.”
The dinghy subsequently entered British waters, where RNLI lifeboats picked up the migrants and transported them towards Portsmouth.
The episode has reignited a dispute over how French and British authorities should respond to increasingly crowded Channel crossings. Under international maritime conventions, vessels have obligations to assist people facing grave and imminent danger, although the precise circumstances in which a rescue intervention is required can depend on the conditions at sea and the assessment of risk.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, accused France of failing to do enough to prevent dangerous crossings.
“Around 100 people have died trying to cross the Channel already. The French could easily end this – they could stop the boats as they embark in knee-deep water, or stop them at sea near the French coast.
“The Belgians do this, and the Australians have done it in the past, with no loss of life at all.
“Allowing this to continue simply puts more lives at risk and allows the illegal crossings to continue. Shabana Mahmood should not be paying £660million of our money while the French refuse to do what other countries will do.”
The migrants were later collected by RNLI crews, but the lifeboats were prevented from entering Southampton and Portsmouth harbours after harbour authorities intervened.
The crews eventually brought the migrants to Eastney. Demonstrators subsequently gathered outside the Portsmouth lifeboat station, with reports of roads being blocked.
The RNLI said it was “disappointed” by the decision to restrict access to the ports.
A spokesman said: “We are working with the relevant parties to understand the decision to deny access, and we are disappointed with the nature of the communication with our crews, who voluntarily give their time to save the lives of others at sea.”
The incident underlines the increasingly complicated division of responsibility for Channel crossings, with French authorities seeking to prevent departures, British authorities responding to boats once they enter UK waters, and volunteer rescue organisations operating under maritime safety obligations.
For both governments, the political challenge is to prevent dangerous crossings without creating circumstances in which rescue services themselves become exposed to unacceptable risks.
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