Most migrants who try to reach Britain illegally by boat and get into difficulties at sea are then rescued by the volunteers of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) which funds a cost of £1,500 for every lifeboat that is launched. More than 200 migrants have tried to get into Britain this way from France in the last four months, and the charity accepts it as their duty to help anyone in difficulties, whoever they are.

Calls are now being made for the RNLI to be compensated for their work by the Home Office. The charity is reckoned to have saved the lives of 140,000 people since its founding in 1864.

Meanwhile there is a current crackdown on people traffickers with ten suspects arrested in France in the last few months and three more due for trial this year.