Dunkirk Anniversary Fleet Diverts Course as Migrant Boat Sparks Emergency Response in Channel

A flotilla of historic vessels commemorating the 85th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation was forced to divert its course across the English Channel after a migrant boat required emergency escort by UK Border Force and the French Navy.

The fleet of 66 “Little Ships” was en route from Ramsgate to Dunkirk to honour Operation Dynamo, the heroic 1940 mission that saved over 338,000 Allied troops stranded on the beaches of France during World War II. But the symbolic voyage was interrupted when authorities established a one-nautical-mile exclusion zone to facilitate the interception of a migrant vessel heading toward the UK.

According to The Telegraph, the ships were instructed via maritime radio: “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 reply, believed to be from the French naval vessel Oyapock, followed in a French accent: “Thank you, sir. Thank you very much.”

Observers expressed frustration at the disruption to the historic event. One attendee remarked: “It is one of the most important days in history and they are shoving them out of the way.”

The incident occurred on the same day a record-breaking 820 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats, marking the highest single-day figure so far this year. Tragically, two migrants died during the treacherous journey. Reports indicate that the dinghy carrying them had 80 people on board—quadruple the number it was designed to hold.

The unnamed victims were retrieved from the water by a naval vessel, where sailors administered first aid. Despite their efforts, both individuals were declared dead shortly afterward.

The perilous Channel crossings have reached unprecedented levels in 2025, with over 36,000 people arriving since Labour came to power. As the government faces mounting pressure to address border control, the memorial disruption underscores the increasing tension between humanitarian response and national events.

Critics of the government’s handling of the Channel crossings argue that the frequency and scale of migrant arrivals are putting unsustainable pressure on Border Force resources, while also clashing with other maritime operations, as illustrated by the interruption of the Dunkirk tribute.

While commemorations continued after the diversion, the day became a sobering reflection not just of past sacrifices, but of current humanitarian crises unfolding on the same stretch of sea once defined by salvation.

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Photo Credit: Steve Finn