RNLI volunteers have been told they can consider hiding branded clothing in public as the lifeboat charity reviews security following online abuse linked to anti-migrant protests in Portsmouth and Dover. The move follows an unusual Channel operation involving around 120 migrants and a backlash in which individual volunteers were photographed, targeted online and accused of being “traitors”.
The RNLI is not changing who it rescues at sea. The new guidance is about protecting volunteers on land after hostility surrounding the Portsmouth incident moved onto social media and raised concerns about personal safety.
RNLI reviews security after volunteers targeted online https://t.co/9ZyR2UXyn4
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) September 10, 2026
Portsmouth Migrant Arrival Sparked a Major Protest
The controversy began on Sunday, September 6, after a small boat carrying around 120 people reached British waters near the Isle of Wight following an unusually long route from France.
RNLI crews became involved after being tasked by HM Coastguard. The group was eventually brought ashore at Eastney in Portsmouth, where hundreds of protesters later gathered and roads were blocked as demonstrators attempted to stop coaches carrying the arrivals from leaving.
The government has published an official account of the south coast protests, including the response by police and emergency services.
The landing triggered a major protest around Eastney following the migrant arrival, turning what began as a maritime incident into a significant public-order operation.
Six RNLI Crews Became Involved
RNLI chief executive Peter Sparkes said the incident was the first Channel crossing response of this magnitude involving the charity so far west.
Crews from Bembridge and Yarmouth were initially involved. Four more stations later joined after large numbers of protesters gathered in and near the water in Portsmouth.
Importantly, the RNLI said its crews also helped protect protesters who had entered the sea.
‘I Am Not a Traitor’
One volunteer, identified publicly only as Neil, appeared in footage filmed near the protest. His image was later circulated online alongside claims that RNLI personnel were helping migrants enter Britain.
Neil said his lifeboat was actually there to illuminate the beach and provide safety cover for protesters in the water.
He rejected the “traitor” accusation and said he would continue volunteering. Neil has served with the RNLI for more than a decade and said he would return to the boat when his pager next sounded.
Posts Targeting Volunteers Reached Millions
The online targeting extended beyond criticism of the charity.
Posts examined by BBC Verify that featured RNLI personnel collectively attracted at least two million views. Some called for volunteers to be “named and shamed”, while replies included suggestions that their families should be tracked down.
There was also misinformation over the identities of those pictured. Neil and another volunteer were incorrectly identified as two entirely different RNLI crew members whose names were available online.
At least one post was subsequently removed for violating X’s rules.
RNLI Volunteers Can Hide Branded Clothing
The fallout has prompted the RNLI to review its security procedures and give volunteers greater discretion over their personal safety.
Sparkes told volunteers they could consider not wearing RNLI-branded clothing while representing the charity in public places. They can also leave conversations that make them uncomfortable.
Volunteers have been told they are empowered to go home or close for the day if they believe their safety, or that of their team, could be at risk.
On RNLI premises, members have been encouraged to wear visible identification and challenge people without ID, particularly if someone appears suspicious or attempts to gain unauthorised access.
The measures matter beyond operational crews because many lifeboat stations have shops and other public-facing facilities staffed by volunteers.
Reform UK Deliveroo Law: What the Proposal Could Mean for Delivery Riders
Portsmouth Protest: Police Injured After 140 Migrants Arrive
Police Examine Online Abuse
Sussex Police is seeking to establish whether criminal offences have been committed in connection with the targeting.
The Home Office said platforms should enforce their rules against discriminatory material and warned that content intended to intimidate, harass or incite violence can cross into criminality.
Digital Secretary Lisa Nandy has also raised concerns in Parliament about reports of RNLI personnel’s photographs, names and addresses being circulated online, bringing the issue of doxxing into the government’s response.
Channel Incidents Make Up a Fraction of RNLI Launches
The RNLI has also pushed back against perceptions about the scale of its involvement in migrant crossings.
Figures cited by Sparkes show that 109 of 9,058 RNLI lifeboat launches last year involved people in distress in the Channel — about 1.2% of all launches. He also said around 95% of small boats were intercepted by Border Force.
When RNLI crews are tasked by HM Coastguard, their role is to respond to people in danger. After a rescue, responsibility can be transferred to agencies including Border Force, police, HM Coastguard or ambulance services.
Dover Protest Added to Security Concerns
The Portsmouth confrontation came after another anti-migrant demonstration in Dover on Saturday, where hundreds of protesters disrupted access around the port.
The Dover protest involving masked demonstrators meant the RNLI was dealing with heightened tensions across two major south-coast locations on consecutive days.
Sparkes has condemned the abuse as “wholly unacceptable in a civilised society”, while making clear that the charity’s fundamental position has not changed: when HM Coastguard calls its crews to someone in distress, they will respond.
The security review therefore marks a different kind of challenge for the 200-year-old rescue charity — protecting the volunteers who answer those calls when hostility over events at sea follows them back onto land and online.
Make Swikblog your go-to source on Google for reliable updates, smart insights, and daily trends.
