Western French beach launch sparks new, riskier migrant crossing to Portsmouth

In late Saturday, a smuggling gang sent an inflatable dinghy carrying about 140 migrants from a sand-dune site near Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue on the Cotentin Peninsula, a location previously unused for Channel crossings. The boat, later hampered by engine failure, drifted for 17 hours across the Raz Blanchard current before being aided by French naval vessels and helicopters and eventually reaching Portsmouth harbour. Local port operators barred the RNLI rescue vessels from docking at Portsmouth and Southampton, forcing them to use Eastney harbour amid protests by vigilante groups.

French officials say the western departure reflects smugglers’ adaptation to tighter security around Calais, and they fear the “proof of concept” will lead to more attempts from Normandy. Larger “mega-dinghies” now carry up to 230 people, raising concerns among rescue volunteers about the vessels’ instability and the capacity of UK lifeboat stations to handle mass arrivals. The Home Office says it is ready to adjust its response if the new route expands.