Major rescue operation launched as boat 'carrying 160 migrants' catches fire in Channel

A major rescue mission was launched after an overcrowded dinghy carrying about 160 migrants caught fire in the English Channel. It is understood that the fire caused the craft to sink and the occupants were plunged into the water. Some 54 migrants were taken to France on board British boats, while the others were picked up by the French. A UK coastguard spokesman said: “A vessel caught fire earlier this morning whilst in the French search and rescue region. “UK vessels and a lifeboat are assisting.”An RNLI spokesperson confirmed that Eastbourne's all-weather lifeboat launched at 6am. There have been no reports of any fatalities. The average number of people making the perilous journey across the Channel per small boat has increased significantly in recent years. In 2018 the typical number of migrants per vessel was seven. It is now more than 60. It comes as Home Office figures show 1,176 people made crossing from France to the UK in the last seven days alone.Despite a recent flurry in arrivals, the number of migrants who have reached the UK after crossing the English Channel so far in 2026 is more than 40 per cent lower than at this point last year. The provisional total for 2026 so far is 14,526 people, 43 per cent lower than the number recorded by this time last year (25,436) and down 14 per cent on the same period in 2024 (16,903). Read MoreNigel Farage on Monday said his party would use the Navy to intercept and forcibly return small boats to France. The Reform UK leader insisted “Operation Fortress”, which would see migrants transported back to France or Belgium, would comply with international law.Mr Farage described the scheme as a humanitarian response.But the French government hit back at the plan saying it would be a “violation of French sovereignty”.Andy Burnham over the weekend vowed that his government would be "relentless" in bringing down the number of people arriving in Britain on small boats. The Prime Minister insisted progress was being made and the Government was "changing the whole approach".The number of enforcement officers targeting people-smuggling gangs had doubled on both sides of the Channel, he said.