The UK Coastguard rescued 80 migrants at one time from the English Channel in a record year for crossings, figures show.

The maritime watch has come to the aid of thousands of people who have attempted the sea journey this year, according to the newly released data.

They have faced peril while trying to cross one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes in small boats, including inflatables and dinghies.

The biggest single rescue in three years up to this summer took place when 80 people were taken to safety on July 19, 2021.

The incident was logged to the middle of the Channel between Dungeness in Kent and the French fishing port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, according to the data released to Metro.co.uk under the Freedom of Information Act.

The amount of people involved was the most for a single incident since November 2018, the earliest date provided in the disclosure.

The location given for the rescue is 50 47.3N/001 14.45E, placing one or more boats in the middle of the shipping channel.

A couple of weeks before, on July 8, the coastguard came to the aid of 71 people in a call logged to French territorial waters.

The location given is in the North Sea, a few miles north of Dunkirk.

Her Majesty’s Coastguard was also called out after the alarm was raised for 62 people in the Channel between Eastbourne and the seaside town of Le Touqet on June 28.

The service qualified the information by saying that where rescues have been logged to is not necessarily where it intervened, and the co-ordinates may show where it first became aware of those needing help at sea.

In total, 9,062 people were rescued in the current year to July 26, the figures show. This was up on the entire year’s total for 2020, which was 8,334.

Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, said: ‘We mustn’t forget that the men, women and children whose lives have been saved by the Coastguard have had to flee persecution, war and terror to reach safety in the UK through no fault of their own.

‘Without alternative safe routes they have no choice but to take dangerous journeys so it’s vital the UK lives up to what Conservative Prime Ministers since Winston Churchill have always done and give them a fair hearing on UK soil. Seeking to push them back, punish them or send them to another country is cruel, heartless and goes against our tradition of welcoming refugees in need of protection.’

Andy Pettit, of the Stand up to Racism campaign group, has been supporting asylum seekers in Coventry, a city of sanctuary and a dispersal hub for people being integrated into the UK.

He said: ‘If you make regular legal routes impossible then people will turn to illegal routes using small boats. Instead of clamping down on organised people smugglers, Priti Patel is pushing people into their hands.

‘The migrants are fleeing the residue of years of war, famine and drought and many are coming because they have someone here who can help them, such as a brother or uncle, not because they think the UK is an easy ticket.

‘As a proportion, the UK still takes a very small amount of the refugees on the move around the world.’

The national 999 service, which is part of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, works to prevent loss of life on the coast and at sea.

The figures are similar to those for overall crossings, suggesting that most migrant small boat journeys result in rescues and interceptions.

The influx across the Channel has led the Home Secretary to blame the EU for what she termed a ‘mass migration crisis’ in the Channel.

Speaking on a trip to the US, she said: ‘Let’s not forget that the real problem on illegal migration flows is the EU has no border protections whatsoever — Schengen open borders.’

Ms Patel also said she had received assurances from the French government that it will use more technology to keep watch of its northern coastline.

Migrants have crossed from France in record numbers this year, separate figures show. This includes 1,185 making the crossing last Thursday – the biggest number in a single day.

Overall, more than 24,500 have made the trip in small boats so far this year, up from 8,420 for the whole of 2020.

A spokesperson for the Coastguard said: “HM Coastguard is committed to safeguarding life around the seas and coastal areas of this country.

‘We do not routinely enter French waters unless asked to assist with a search and rescue by the French, but we are often notified of vessels that are likely to enter UK waters. If a vessel in UK waters needs search and rescue assistance, HM Coastguard will respond and rescue those in danger. 

‘We are only concerned with the preservation of life, rescuing those in trouble and bringing them safely back to shore, where they will be handed over to the relevant partner emergency services or authorities.’

The spokesperson added that the locations where incidents have been logged are not necessarily where the Coastguard intervened.

The Home Office maintains that it is carrying out ‘targeted’ work with France that has prevented 19,000 attempted crossings and led to 17 smuggling operations being dismantled.

Dan O’Mahoney, Clandestine Channel Threat Commander, said: ‘We are facing a global migration crisis and the number of people arriving on UK shores is unacceptable.

‘We must work closely with our European and international partners to target the ruthless organised criminal gangs behind these deadly crossings and welcome the French Government’s commitment to step up action to prevent crossings, including increased surveillance, greater intelligence sharing and deployment of frontline operations

‘The New Plan for Immigration will fix the broken system, break the deadly business model of the people smugglers and prevent further loss of life.’

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