Urgent help to defend migrant rights

Channel Rescue is a grassroots, human rights monitoring organisation established in response to government calls for increased securitisation and militarisation of the English Channel. Our objective is to hold authorities to account in their duty to uphold the human rights of those crossing the channel, and advocate for safe passage and progressive legislation around refugees and migrants.

We have been shocked by the inflammatory language adopted by Suella Braverman in her statements about the recent events in Dover. We do not need sensationalised or jingoistic rhetoric, rather we need a mature and informed approach to the humanitarian crisis at our borders. We do not need to deepen the divides that already exist.

We aim to counter the hostile narrative created by the Government, in particular the new home secretary. What we see at our borders is not an invasion but a burgeoning humanitarian crisis.

At the moment, Channel Rescue urgently needs funding to maintain our presence along the coastline and to undertake maintenance and repairs of our boat. We are hoping to raise £10k to support our ongoing work.

Without this funding we will be unable to continue our everyday activities which involve monitoring the situation in the English Channel, and specifically arrivals by small boat from France and their processing by the authorities - and now also private suppliers of Search and Rescue services.

We aim to fact find, document landings, act as legal observers, and provide support to those making the crossing and recently arrived people. We work with other organisations to raise awareness of unlawful removals from the UK and any malpractice, violence or human rights violations we observe. As there is a notable far-right presence on the Kent coast, we also monitor human rights violations that may result from racist agitation.

Because we are a group entirely run by volunteers, we need to be able to support our volunteers by reimbursing transport and food expenses. To ensure a permanent presence on the coast, we need to pay rent for accommodation. To ensure smooth recording and documenting of events, we require technical equipment.

In the past, volunteers making land observations witnessed what appeared to be pushback training and subsequently we were able to bring this to the attention of the public. Channel Rescue took the government to court over its push-back policy, which the Home Office has subsequently withdrawn. We have also submitted evidence to the United Nations Special Rapporteur for the Human Rights of Migrants and the UK Parliament’s Defence Select Committee.