A 15-meter rubber dinghy carrying 230 illegal migrants successfully crossed the English Channel to reach the UK, setting a new record for the highest number of people on a single vessel attempting the crossing.
The vessel, described as a "super rubber dinghy," broke the previous record set just last month, when a boat carrying 165 people crossed the Channel. The record has now been significantly surpassed.
According to reports, the crossing took place late Sunday night into the early hours of Monday, with 230 illegal migrants boarding the same vessel from the French coast to cross the Channel to the UK. Photos released by the French maritime rescue organisation SNSM show the overcrowded boat packed with migrants, many sitting on the edge of the vessel — a highly dangerous scene.
SNSM reported that the 15-meter inflatable dinghy, severely overloaded and hit by waves, caused around 30 people to fall into the sea at one point. They were rescued by French police and firefighters. The boat, bending under the swell, continued towards UK waters, where it was eventually intercepted by British authorities and escorted ashore.
In response, a UK Home Office spokesperson strongly condemned the people-smuggling gangs for packing extremely unseaworthy vessels with migrants, calling the act reckless and a serious threat to life.
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