The RNLI, a British lifeboat charity, has announced it will continue rescuing individuals in the English Channel, even as its staff and volunteers have faced attacks and public scrutiny. Recent high-profile incidents involving small boats carrying asylum seekers have led to online and physical abuse against RNLI workers, as well as the spread of "baseless" rumors claiming the charity housed asylum seekers or transported them to secret locations. The RNLI has emphasized that its work in the Channel is a small part of its overall mission, which includes saving lives at sea regardless of the circumstances. The charity has drawn public attention after a rescue operation in Portsmouth, where a dinghy carrying asylum seekers was brought ashore, sparking protests from far-right activists and some local residents. RNLI Chief Executive Peter Sparkes stressed the organization's long-standing commitment to rescuing people without judgment or fear. "Staff and volunteers are being threatened by those hiding behind balaclavas or keyboards," he said, calling such actions "wholly unacceptable in a civilised society." Sparkes also dismissed rumors about the RNLI housing asylum seekers or conducting secret missions, calling them "completely baseless and untrue." According to the RNLI, in 2025, its lifeboats were launched 9,058 times, with only 109 of those missions involving small boats in the English Channel—just 1.2% of its total rescue work. The charity noted that nearly 95% of those who crossed the Channel in small boats last year were rescued by the UK Border Force. Despite this, RNLI crews continue to respond to small boat incidents when the HM Coastguard alerts them to potential distress at sea. Volunteers shared powerful accounts of their experiences. Dan Sinclair, a lifeboat helm in Kent, described a harrowing rescue where a family in a sinking boat screamed for help. "A little girl looked me straight in the eye and said, 'I love you, thank you,' and that went straight to my heart," he said. Similarly, Paula Lain, a volunteer in Dover, recounted pulling a terrified man from the water. "I knew I couldn’t let him go," she said, describing the moment she and her colleagues saved his life. The RNLI reiterated that it follows international maritime law, which requires any vessel to assist people in distress at sea. It clarified that it is not a "taxi service" for asylum seekers, but a rescue organization responding to anyone in danger. "Our crews launch to the rescue, doing everything they can to save lives, without any thought to where the people they rescue are travelling from, nor their migrant status," the charity said.