An inflatable boat that crossed the Channel carrying a record 230 migrants was “buckling” in the water and could have led to a tragedy, French rescuers have warned.
The French lifeboat crew based at Berck-sur-Mer said the dingy was 15m (49ft) long, and already carrying around 50 passengers when it was spotted heading towards a beach to pick up more.
The number of passengers breaks the previous record from July when 165 people successfully made the crossing.
People smugglers have been increasing the number of migrants crammed into boats, a tactic the Government has condemned as “reckless and dangerous”.
The SNMS team, the equivalent of the UK’s RNLI, said around 30 people ended up in the water during the rush to climb onboard at around 5pm on Sunday.
Part of the group became cut off by the tide and had to be rescued, a translated statement said.
The crowded dinghy was described as “buckling under the swell” as it headed towards the UK.
It was carrying 232 migrants until two people asked for assistance and were taken to Calais.
Rescuers efforts “helped avert a tragedy”, the statement added.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said French authorities should have stopped the dinghy.
“This is now beyond a joke,” he said.
“The French authorities could easily have stopped a vessel this size from embarking in shallow waters.
“I recently saw for myself French Gendarmes standing by and doing nothing while illegal immigrants boarded in knee-deep water. Shabana Mahmood is handing over £660 million of our money while this happens. It’s a disgrace.”
The near-miss comes after a dinghy carrying 173 people capsized in the Channel when its engine caught fire earlier this month.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “This latest incident demonstrates the reckless and dangerous tactics employed by the criminal gangs facilitating these crossings, who continue to put lives at risk by cramming ever greater numbers of people onto unseaworthy vessels.
“We are making progress, with the number of small boat crossings down this year and the lowest number recorded for the month of July since 2020.
“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.”
Downing Street also criticised the “ruthless” people-smuggling gangs “prepared to risk human lives for profit”.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said: “We’ve seen today some appalling images, haven’t we, of young babies being put into these unseaworthy craft, and they’re shocking images, and they show the reality behind the ruthless smuggling gangs that are prepared to risk human lives for profit.
“That’s exactly why the Government has signed a new payment-by-results deal with the French to prevent these perilous journeys from happening in the first place.
“As the Prime Minister has said, we’re not complacent and we are bearing down on these crossings, and that’s reflected in the joint action that’s prevented 47,000 attempted crossings since the election.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the numbers of people crossing in small boats “are down but they’re still horrendous”.
Some 258 migrants arrived in the UK in four boats on Saturday, according to Home Office figures, with 423 arriving in five boats on Sunday.
But the number of overall arrivals for 2026 has dropped compared with last year.
The provisional total for the year so far is 15,242 – 42% lower than the number recorded by this time last year and down 14% on the same period in 2024.
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