A flotilla of 66 boats commemorating the Dunkirk evacuation was reportedly forced to divert course in the English Channel today after Border Force and the French Navy enforced a one-nautical-mile exclusion zone—to allow safe passage for a migrant boat.
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The flotilla, which departed from Ramsgate to mark the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo, was part of a coordinated tribute honouring those rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk during WWII. But according to multiple eyewitness accounts and social media posts, including one by commentator Kelvin MacKenzie, the vessels were instructed to hold or alter their course to avoid a conflict with ongoing migrant rescue operations.
What Happened?
- Event: Commemorative Dunkirk flotilla crossing
- Date: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
- Participants: 66 vessels from the UK
- Incident: Diverted by UK Border Force and French Navy
- Reason: Migrant boat with people onboard required a secure path through the Channel
Official Position
A Home Office source confirmed that maritime safety procedures required a temporary exclusion zone to be enforced while the migrant vessel was intercepted and safely escorted, in line with joint UK-France protocols.
