Officials from the United Kingdom and France rescued over 150 migrants attempting to cross the English Channel after a fire broke out on their boat on Tuesday morning.
Foreign news agencies reported on 4 Aug 2026 that a fire broke out on a small migrant boat attempting to cross the English Channel from France to the UK. French and UK officials rescued 157 migrants and took them all to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, with no reports of injuries or fatalities.
The boat departed France on the night of Monday, 3 Aug. Initially, the migrant group refused help from French patrol boats as they wanted to reach the UK. However, they eventually requested assistance after their boat's engine caught fire on Tuesday morning and the situation rapidly worsened.
Several rescue vessels from both France and the UK responded to aid those affected. Two French boats rescued 103 migrants, while UK vessels helped 54 migrants.
Anna Turley, UK Border Security Minister, confirmed that all migrants on the boat will be returned to France, emphasizing that the incident highlights the dangers and inhumanity of people smuggling operations.
The UK's Conservative Party criticized French police for allowing the migrant boat to depart, while Nigel Farage, leader of the opposition Reform UK party, reiterated his proposal for the government to use the navy to push migrant boats back.
Although the number of migrants crossing the English Channel by boat has decreased by about 43% compared to the same period in 2025, since Andy Burnham became the UK's prime minister two weeks ago, over 2,000 migrants have arrived via the Channel.
. bbc