Around 140 migrants rescued by RNLI from dinghy in English Channel after 10-hour journey
The dinghy set off in the Bay of the Seine and reached UK waters on Sunday afternoon.
Approximately 140 migrants have been rescued from a single dinghy in the English Channel.
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Those on the vessel, which departed from the Normandy coast overnight, sought help and were collected by two RNLI boats, the French coastguard said.
It comes days after Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron met to discuss how to "scale up" efforts to reduce small boat crossings.
An increase in the number of police officers working to tackle the “mega dinghies” transporting migrants from France to Britain was announced before their meeting earlier this week.
It comes after a single small boat carrying a record 230 people completed the journey across the Channel in August.
Across the summer, the number of boats has fallen, with the number being at its smallest since 2019. Despite this, smugglers seem to have begun putting more people onto single boats, which have been described as "mega dinghies".
Read more: Burnham meets Macron for Downing Street talks in bid to stop 'mega-dinghies' crossing the Channel
The dinghy set off in the Bay of the Seine and was followed by French rescue boats for around 10 hours in case the boat faced trouble. The French coastguard said it was not safe to try to stop the dinghy while it was in transit.
It reached UK waters at lunchtime, where the people on board were met by RNLI lifeboats from Bembridge and Yarmouth.
French authorities said the dinghy’s launching destination was not a common choice compared with many of the other migrant boats attempting the crossing.
The dinghy left French shores some 170 miles away from Calais, where migrant boats frequently depart from. The choice made the journey significantly longer.
A Home Office spokesperson said on Sunday: "This government is bearing down on dangerous small boat crossings and restoring control at our border.
"Joint efforts have seen over 48,000 crossing attempts prevented and 1,100 boats and engines seized since the election."
The spokesperson also said: "But we must go further, which is why we have signed a payment-by-results deal with the French to put 40% more boots on the ground on French beaches."
It comes after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said earlier this week: "We are boosting officer numbers to record highs to crack down on small boat launches and the gangs behind them.
"This work is bearing fruit. Over 48,000 crossing attempts have been prevented, small boat crossing numbers are down and removals of those here illegally are at record levels.
In talks on Thursday, Burnham and Macron both agreed that they were making progress in reducing the number of small boat crossings in the English Channel but now needed to go further.
Before the talks went ahead, the Prime Minister said the two countries must “stay one step ahead” of the criminal gangs’ changing methods and evolving tactics to transport people across the English Channel, and he promised not to be “complacent” after a fall in the number of small boat arrivals.
Macron added: “This is a very strong relationship. For me it is extremely important, and I’m here with willingness and a commitment to get closer.”
It's thought the people smugglers organising the crossings have been forced to go to much greater lengths to avoid detection following more robust policing in the Calais area.
Approximately 16,391 migrants have crossed the Channel from January to September 2026, which is down 43% on the same time last year.