The dinghy is now approaching the Channel boundary line according to ship tracking data, and appears to have set off close to the village of Vierville-sur-Mer, west of Bayeux.

And two RNLI lifeboats are racing out into the middle of the Channel, it is understood.

Mr Thomas has vowed to follow the lifeboats back to shore.

“The sea was calm, and weather conditions were good, but the decision was taken to escort the boat, without intervening.”

The source said the focus was on ensuring maritime safety, and not on preventing the boat reaching the UK.

Because of currents and winds, the boat first began heading along the French coast, rather than out to sea, he added.

“Gendarmes were also involved in monitoring the boat from the shoreline, and – at around 3pm – there was a movement towards English waters,” said the source.

By first light on Tuesday morning, there were no more reports about the location of the boat, but it was believed to still be at sea.

Labour were accused of being “weak” on immigration as 120 people were brought into Portsmouth following a record crossing attempt from near Cherbourg.

It prompted warnings of an “invasion” of other coastal towns, such as Brighton, Southampton or Weymouth as smugglers change their tactics to exploit weak points in the border.

And hundreds of protesters descended on Portsmouth, vowing not to let three coaches of migrants through.

Some even chased the buses down the motorway as they carried the migrants from Portsmouth to Dover.

Rescue teams admitted they were blindsided as the smugglers used an “isolated, rocky spot” in the region, which is almost 285 miles away by road from Calais.

And the boat was in “serious difficulty” within “an hour”, officials said.

This led to five French rescue vessels and two helicopters helping the 120 asylum seekers on the nearly 70-mile journey.

A rescue source said: “Jobourg is not patrolled by police, because nobody would expect a boat to leave from such an isolated, rocky spot.

“Within an hour or so the boat was in serious difficulty, and passengers on board made Mayday calls on their mobile phones.”

The engine had failed, investigators believe, meaning the dinghy was drifting dangerously about 14 miles off the coast.

The Abeille Liberté got closest to the stricken boat, and found “all on board packed closely together, and clearly in some distress”.

“There were 20 women and eight children among them, and they clearly caused the most concern.

“Only a few migrants were wearing life jackets, so we handed out jackets to all of them. It seemed incomprehensible that they were risking their lives without life jackets.

“A second outboard motor was made to work, so the boat could continue on its voyage to Britain.”

Migrant dinghy shadowed through Channel by the French for nearly 24 hours approaching UK

A migrant dinghy spent more than a day at sea while being monitored and escorted by French authorities as it made its way towards Britain, highlighting the increasingly complex routes being used to cross the English Channel.

The vessel left the Normandy coast on Monday morning and was still at sea more than 24 hours later as it approached waters between France and Britain. French rescue and coastguard vessels remained involved throughout the journey, while British rescue boats were eventually sent out to meet the dinghy.

French authorities later said the vessel had been at sea for more than 33 hours and was carrying around 60 people. The French Maritime Prefecture described the boat as unsuitable for such a crossing and said its occupants had become weakened after spending so long at sea in precarious conditions.

The episode has raised fresh questions about the changing geography of Channel crossings, the role of French maritime authorities and the continuing challenge facing Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s Government.

A much longer route than the traditional crossings

The journey was unusual because the boat did not leave from the area around Calais or Dunkirk, where many Channel crossings have historically originated.

Instead, the dinghy departed from the Normandy coast, apparently close to Vierville-sur-Mer, west of Bayeux.

Tracking information reported by ITV showed the vessel initially moving along the French coastline rather than heading directly towards Britain. Currents and weather conditions were understood to have influenced its movements.

The route from western Normandy to the British coast can be considerably longer than the relatively narrow crossing between Calais and Dover.

That presents additional risks.

A small inflatable boat carrying dozens of people can be exposed to changing currents, mechanical problems and deteriorating weather for a much longer period. In this case, the vessel remained at sea for well over a day.

French officials subsequently said the people aboard had been at sea for more than 33 hours.

French authorities monitored the vessel

One of the most striking features of the incident was the length of time the French authorities remained alongside the dinghy.

According to the French Maritime Prefecture, the Jobourg Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre monitored the vessel from approximately 9am on Monday until Tuesday afternoon.

Several French rescue vessels became involved.

Sky News reported that the tugboat Abeille Liberté, operating under French naval orders, was sent to assist vessels already monitoring the boat. Tracking data indicated that additional French rescue vessels subsequently joined the operation.

The French response was presented by officials primarily as a maritime-safety operation.

A source quoted in reports said the boat was in poor condition and riding low in the water, with only a small outboard motor. Although sea conditions were relatively calm, authorities decided to escort rather than immediately intervene.

The precise legal and operational circumstances surrounding such decisions are important because French authorities have responsibilities to protect life at sea while also enforcing French and international maritime law.

Why did the French not simply turn the boat around?

The incident has generated considerable debate because the French vessels appeared to accompany the dinghy for many hours rather than returning it immediately to the French coast.

The explanation provided by French authorities centred on safety.

When a vessel is already at sea and people aboard are considered vulnerable, maritime rescue agencies have to assess the risk of intervention. An attempt to physically stop or board an overloaded inflatable can itself create a danger of capsizing.

This is one reason why Channel crossings are difficult to police.

A dinghy packed with passengers is not equivalent to a conventional commercial vessel. Sudden manoeuvres, contact with another boat or attempts to board can cause people to fall into the water.

The French response therefore involved monitoring and escorting the vessel while maintaining the ability to respond to an emergency.

Eventually, British rescue services became directly involved.

RNLI vessels meet the dinghy

Two RNLI lifeboats were dispatched from the British side of the Channel as the vessel approached the maritime boundary.

According to reports, the migrants were eventually transferred to RNLI vessels before being handed over to the Border Force vessel HMC Vigilant.

The operation demonstrated the continuing importance of search-and-rescue organisations in Channel crossings.

The RNLI’s role is primarily one of saving lives rather than immigration enforcement. When people are found in distress at sea, rescue agencies can be required to intervene regardless of the circumstances that led them onto the water.

That distinction is significant in the political debate surrounding small boats.

Border enforcement and search-and-rescue operations overlap geographically, but they have different responsibilities.

The boat eventually reached Britain

By Wednesday, the situation had developed into a larger political and policing story.

Sky News reported that 51 people aboard the dinghy arrived in Dover after spending approximately 36 hours at sea. The French coastguard said those aboard had been determined to continue towards Britain despite the risks involved.

The boat had initially been expected to head towards the south coast, with Gosport mentioned as a possible destination.

Instead, it travelled eastwards towards Dover.

The uncertainty over where the vessel would arrive created additional pressure for local authorities.

Protesters gathered on the British coast

The arrival also coincided with protests.

Anti-migration activists had followed developments involving the boat and gathered in areas where they believed the migrants might be brought ashore.

Sky News reported that six protesters were arrested after police said some demonstrators became hostile towards officers.

The protests illustrate another consequence of the changing pattern of small-boat arrivals.

When boats land at locations away from the traditional Dover reception facilities, local communities can suddenly find themselves at the centre of a national political controversy.

Portsmouth and other southern coastal locations have experienced similar tensions during the year.

The Government has therefore faced pressure not only to reduce crossings but also to manage the consequences when boats arrive in areas that have less experience of handling them.

Normandy is becoming more significant

The departure from Normandy is particularly important for border authorities.

ITV reported that departures from as far west as Normandy remain relatively unusual.

However, there have been indications that smuggling networks are experimenting with different launch points.

A previous incident involved around 120 people leaving from an isolated area near Cherbourg before requiring a major French rescue response. Other recent crossings have involved increasingly large vessels carrying dozens or even more than 100 people.

The change creates a problem for enforcement.

If authorities concentrate resources around the Pas-de-Calais coastline, smugglers may attempt to operate farther west.

That can increase the distance of the crossing and place additional demands on French and British rescue services.

A challenge for Burnham’s Government

The incident comes at a politically sensitive time for Andy Burnham.

The Prime Minister has made tackling small-boat crossings and disrupting smuggling networks an important part of his government’s immigration policy.

Earlier in September, Burnham said that smuggling gangs were continually adapting their tactics and argued that Britain and France needed to respond quickly. He described small boats as a shared European challenge requiring international cooperation.

The latest incident provides a concrete example of the problem he was describing.

The smugglers’ route appears to have moved away from the most heavily monitored sections of the French coast, while the boat itself spent an unusually long period at sea.

That does not by itself demonstrate whether the Government’s wider strategy is succeeding or failing. But it does show why enforcement remains difficult.

Britain and France need to coordinate

The episode also underlines the importance of cooperation between London and Paris.

French authorities monitored the vessel for many hours before British rescue organisations took over the operation closer to British waters.

This division of responsibilities requires communication between maritime rescue services, border agencies and governments.

The UK and France have already increased cooperation in an effort to disrupt smuggling networks and reduce crossings.

But the changing launch locations create new operational challenges.

The longer routes also mean that incidents can develop over many hours, potentially involving several rescue organisations from both countries.

The wider numbers remain closely watched

The latest incident should also be considered alongside the broader pattern of Channel crossings.

Government figures reported earlier this year indicated that arrivals had been lower than during the same period in previous years. However, individual boats have continued to carry unusually large numbers of people.

One August crossing was reported to involve 230 people in a single vessel, while another large dinghy carrying around 160 people caught fire and triggered a major rescue operation.

This suggests that the overall number of crossings and the nature of individual journeys are separate issues.

A reduction in total arrivals does not necessarily mean that the risks associated with each journey have disappeared.

Indeed, larger boats and longer routes can create different safety challenges.

What happens next?

For Burnham’s Government, the latest crossing is another reminder that the Channel migration issue is constantly changing.

The challenge is not simply preventing boats from leaving a particular stretch of French coastline. Authorities must also monitor new launch points, disrupt criminal networks, maintain maritime safety and determine how people rescued at sea should be processed.

The Normandy departure demonstrates how quickly the geography of the problem can shift.

A boat that begins its journey hundreds of miles from the traditional Dover-Calais route can eventually require the involvement of French coastguards, French rescue vessels, British lifeboats and Border Force.

The 33-plus-hour journey also demonstrates the risks faced by those aboard.

Whatever the political arguments surrounding immigration policy, the maritime dangers are clear: an overloaded inflatable vessel with a small engine is vulnerable to mechanical failure, changing currents and weather.

The latest incident therefore represents both a border-security challenge and a search-and-rescue operation.

For Britain and France, the central question will be whether closer cooperation can prevent smugglers from continually finding alternative routes while ensuring that people in danger at sea are protected.

For Burnham, the incident adds another test to a policy area in which the Government has promised stronger international cooperation and tougher action against smuggling networks.

The route may have changed, but the fundamental problem remains the same: stopping dangerous Channel journeys requires authorities to stay ahead of criminal networks that are continually adapting their tactics.

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