Lifeboat crews subjected to physical and online abuse following Channel rescue, as social media users rally behind the charity
Portsmouth’s RNLI lifeboat station has been temporarily taken out of service after volunteers were subjected to abuse, intimidation and online threats following the rescue of people attempting to cross the English Channel.
The charity confirmed that operations at its Eastney station had been paused while it reviewed the safety and wellbeing of its volunteer crew. Search-and-rescue cover for the Portsmouth area remains in place through neighbouring RNLI stations and other emergency-service assets.
The decision follows events on September 6, when two RNLI lifeboats assisted HM Coastguard with a vessel carrying around 120 people attempting to cross the Channel from France.
After the rescued group was brought ashore at Eastney, anti-migrant protesters blocked roads around the lifeboat station. Police officers were subsequently targeted, with stones and bricks reportedly thrown and officers pushed from motorcycles.
The fallout did not end when the protest dispersed. RNLI volunteers have since faced threats, abuse and the publication of personal information online. The charity describes such treatment of its crews as “completely unacceptable”.
Jacqui Irons, the RNLI’s South East head of region, said the organisation had a duty of care to its volunteers and had paused activity at Portsmouth while it reviewed crew safety and supported those involved in the September 6 incident.
“The RNLI save lives of everyone”
The closure has prompted an outpouring of support online.
Poverty Watch UK wrote:
“How f***ing disgusting that Portsmouth RNLI have had to shut because of the vile far right threats. Because the RNLI save lives of everyone.”
Another widely shared image simply declares “I Stand With The RNLI”, depicting a group of lifeboat volunteers alongside an RNLI rescue vessel.
A further post by X user Dave Lawrence drew attention to Nigel Farage’s previous criticism of the charity, sharing a screenshot purporting to show a deleted social-media post in which Farage described the RNLI as providing a “taxi service for illegal migrants” and referred to Channel crossings as an “invasion”.
There is a well-documented history behind the controversy. Farage has previously described the RNLI as effectively providing a “taxi service” for illegal migration; comments which were subsequently discussed on the record in Parliament.
What does the RNLI actually do?
The RNLI says its role in the Channel is straightforward: when HM Coastguard tasks a lifeboat to assist people believed to be in danger at sea, its crews respond regardless of who those people are or their immigration status.
The charity says just 1.2% of its lifeboat launcheshttps://rnli.org/about-us/our-work-in-the-channel in 2025 involved small boats in the Channel, while 94.3% of people recorded crossing in small boats were assisted by agencies other than the RNLI.
International maritime obligations also require vessels to assist people in distress at sea. Questions about immigration status and whether somebody is entitled to remain in Britain are dealt with after rescue by the relevant authorities — not by volunteer lifeboat crews.
Portsmouth Lifeboat Station has operated since 1965, providing search-and-rescue cover across the eastern Solent.
For now, that station’s own crews are off service; not because there is nobody to rescue, but because the organisation responsible for rescuing them has concluded that it must first protect its volunteers.
RNLI responds to Just The Facts
Just The Facts contacted Portsmouth RNLI before publication, asking how events had affected volunteers personally, whether the temporary loss of the Portsmouth crew raised any concerns for public safety, and what arrangements were in place to maintain emergency cover.
The RNLI said it was not currently facilitating interviews, but provided the following statement from South East Head of Region Jacqui Irons:
“Portsmouth Lifeboat Station has been temporarily off service since 7 September. We have a duty of care to our people, we therefore took the decision to pause activity at the station to review crew safety and wellbeing and to support those involved in the incident on 6 September.
“Search and rescue cover continues to be provided by flank RNLI and independent lifeboat stations, and the most appropriate asset to respond to any incident will be coordinated through HM Coastguard as is the case around the rest of the coast.
“We look forward to Portsmouth RNLI returning to operational service, in the near future.”
While the RNLI did not elaborate on the personal impact on individual volunteers, its statement confirms that crew safety and wellbeing were central to the decision to suspend operations. It also stressed that maritime search-and-rescue coverage for the area remains in place through neighbouring RNLI and independent lifeboat stations, coordinated by HM Coastguard.