A large-scale emergency operation in the English Channel on Sunday saw 13 people safely brought ashore after being intercepted in small boats. The joint effort involved the UK Border Force, the RNLI, and HM Coastguard.
A Home Office spokesperson confirmed that all 13 individuals were rescued without incident: “The operation involved 13 people, and no one was rescued from the water. Additionally, no one required medical attention.”
The individuals have since been taken to a processing facility and are no longer in the Eastbourne area, the spokesperson added.
The RNLI also played a critical role in the operation. An RNLI spokesperson confirmed that Eastbourne’s all-weather lifeboat was deployed by HM Coastguard at 1:28 PM on Sunday.
While details about the rescued individuals’ identities and nationalities remain undisclosed, authorities continue to manage the ongoing challenge of small boat crossings in the English Channel.
