Children of RNLI volunteers bullied over charity's migrant rescues in English Channel

Children of RNLI volunteers bullied over charity's migrant rescues in English Channel RNLI crews have faced years of abuse for the charity's role in rescuing migrants crossing the Channel. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments By Tannur Anders 07:59, Sat, Oct 17, 2026 Updated: 07:59, Sat, Oct 17, 2026 Migrants wait to disembark from RNLI vessel in Ramsgate (Image: Getty) Children of volunteers for the RNLI have reportedly been bullied at school over the charity's work in the English Channel . The RNLI responds to small boats that are generally in distress and require specialist rescue skills. The leader of a lifeboat crew in Portsmouth said the children of two crew members had been bullied by their peers over their fathers' volunteer work. The volunteers have also been confronted while shopping and socialising in public, according to a report by the Times. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT RNLI crews have faced years of abuse for the charity's role in rescuing migrants crossing the Channel. Get the day's biggest headlines in UK and World news and more I would like to receive emails from the Daily Express featuring our latest products, services, offers, and promotions from across the Reach Plc family . Subscribe Invalid email You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . Migrants head to Kent for processing after protesters gathered in Gosport Six arrested by police after small boat protest 'turned hostile' In one instance, a lifeboat crew was trapped inside its boathouse for two hours during a protest at Eastney harbour. Volunteers from other RNLI stations were tasked with ensuring the safety of anti-migrant protesters who entered the sea during the protest. Images of the crews' faces were shared online, alongside calls to identify them. One widely shared post on X urged people to "get their family". Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Callouts for small boats in distress while crossing the Channel constitute only 1.7 per cent of the charity's total, however. In 2025, 41,472 people crossed the Channel, but only 2,353, or 5.7 per cent, were rescued by the RNLI. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Police stand outside the RNLI station in Poole (Image: Getty) According to the Times report, Peter Sparkes, the charity's chief executive, said there had been "deliberate misinformation and a misunderstanding" about RNLI tasking and how it responded in the Channel. "Sadly, as a result, some of our volunteers and staff have been the subject of online and, in the worst cases, physical abuse," he said. "The RNLI's people represent the very best in our society, they selflessly give up their time to keep others safe. "Yet they and their families are being threatened by those who would hide behind a balaclava or a keyboard. "Their action, in contrast, is wholly unacceptable in a civilised society." Migrant Crisis RNLI English Channel migrant crossings Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments