Migrant boat ruins British WW2 memorial service in English Channel

A flotilla of boats crossing the Channel to mark the 85th anniversary of the Allied evacuation of Dunkirk was forced to divert so that Border Force could escort a boat coming the other way. The party of "Little Ships" was crossing the Dover Strait to commemorate Operation Dynamo-where more than 338,000 Allied troops were rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk during World War Two.

However, the 66 ships marking the day were forced to divert en route from Ramsgate to Dunkirk, as UK Border Force and the French Navy demanded a one-nautical mile exclusion zone around the vessel. The migrant boat was one of many making the perilous journey, as a record 820 illegal immigrants crossed the Channel to the UK today.

The reported that sailors were told in a maritime frequency message: "There is a [French] warship on our head with a migrant [boat] close by. And we've been requested to give one nautical mile distance from that vessel, over.'

A voice speaking with a French accent, believed to be from the French naval vessel Oyapock, reportedly replied: "Thank you, sir. Thank you very much."

One observer later said: "It is one of the most important days in history and they are shoving them out of the way."

The incident came as two migrants tragically lost their lives in the Channel today. It has been reported that the dinghy, which had 80 people on board, was designed to carry no more than 20.

The unnamed migrants were "pulled out by a Navy vessel" and sailors "performed first aid on the two victims, but they were soon declared dead".

The total number that have crossed since Labour came to power passed 36,000 and 2025 has so far been a record year for migrant crossings.