More than 150 migrants traveling to the United Kingdom in a boat across the English Channel were rescued after the vessel caught fire. A major rescue operation was launched on Tuesday morning near the French port of Boulogne-sur-Mer.

French and British authorities worked to evacuate those on board, some of whom had jumped into the sea. The local French maritime prefecture said five of the 157 people on board requested rescue overnight and were evacuated, while the rest refused assistance and continued until the engine caught fire.

Since Andy Burnham became UK prime minister two weeks ago, over 2,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats. Immigration remains a highly divisive issue, prompting Burnham to pledge he will be “relentless” in stopping small boat arrivals.

Current rules require individuals to be in the UK to lodge an asylum application, which Amnesty International argues makes it “impossible” for those abroad to seek asylum. The 1951 UN Refugee Convention recognizes that those fleeing persecution may use irregular routes.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage commented on the incident, saying, “We must put a stop to this. Our plan will save lives.” His party has pledged to abolish indefinite leave to remain (ILR) if it wins the next election, and would rescind existing grants.

Source: www.aljazeera.com