Should the RNLI be prohibited from launching to rescue people in migrant small boats, even when tasked by HM Coastguard?
HM Coastguard tasks RNLI lifeboats to assist people in distress at sea, including in the English Channel, in line with international law requiring rescue regardless of who is involved. In 2025, only 109 of 9,058 RNLI launches (1.2%) were for Channel small boat incidents, with nearly 95% of crossings intercepted by Border Force. Recent incidents, including a large dinghy landing near Portsmouth in September 2026, have led to protests, abuse of volunteers and security reviews at RNLI stations.
8 Opinions
RNLI have the means to save lives so they should
As usual the focus here is never-ending mitigation of the symptom of an underlying problem, when it would be simpler to deal with the underlying problem. Maybe the real problem is at Westminster… Let the RNLI do the job they volunteered for, which is saving lives at sea; tackle the invasion more directly by other means.
The RNLI should only be involved in migrant crossings when there is an immediate risk to life. They should not be routinely deployed to intercept or transport migrants when there is no emergency.
Rescue service.... Absolutely not. It's disgusting that the RNLI are being used as a taxi service. We all know exactly what is going on. Already been exposed on the south coast as all part of the secret plan to bring in all illegals migrants in as coaches and everything all set up ready for them to be picked up and sent to lovely hotels and then to roam our streets scaring our citizens, swamping our NHS and given money. It's absurd and seriously totally traitorous actions.
RNLI statutory task is to rescue therefore prohibiting them from it is nonsense. There are few issues though - they should not be a mean of transportation where is no real danger for life, they should return saved to place where they started the journey. Navy or Border Force should stop boats from entering our territorial waters.
The migrants by purposely putting themselves at risk are endangering others and so have disqualified themselves from assistance from the RNLI