THE Royal National Lifeboat Institution has seen a "surge" in donations after the organisation received criticism for rescuing migrants in the English Channel.
The head of the RNLI Mark Dowie spoke out on Wednesday after it emerged some crews had been subjected to verbal abuse as they came ashore with people they had saved from perilous situations at sea.
It comes as record numbers of migrants try to cross the potentially treacherous English Channel to get to the UK, despite vows from the Home Office to make the route from mainland Europe “unviable”.
We're proud of the lifesaving work our volunteers do in the Channel – we make no apology for it. Those we rescue are vulnerable people in danger & distress. Each of them is someone’s father, mother, son or daughter - every life is precious. This is why we launch: pic.twitter.com/lORd9NRpdP
— RNLI (@RNLI) July 28, 2021
Nigel Farage was one of those that abused the lifeboat charity and said it was being used as a "taxi service for illegal trafficking gangs" who were "pushing migrants across into the English channel". He added that he is a supporter of the RNLI.
Farage's remarks were criticised online, with many saying it prompted them to donate to the RNLI.
Nicola Sturgeon said it was "beyond depressing" the organisation was being forced to defend its work.
Nicola Sturgeon gave her backing to the RNLI's stance on social media, Tweeting that "migrants are human beings whose lives matter".
She wrote: "Beyond depressing that saving human life is work that an organisation is forced to ‘defend’.
"Migrants are human beings whose lives matter. Thank you, @RNLI for all that you do."
We simply wanted to tell our volunteer crews’ story and make it clear that our charity exists to save lives at sea. Our mission is to save every one. Without the generosity of our supporters, we could not save lives at sea. Every one of you is a lifesaver.
— RNLI (@RNLI) July 29, 2021
RNLI said on Thursday that they had received many one-off gifts and also hundreds had set up monthly contributions in the last 24 hours.
They tweeted:"We simply wanted to tell our volunteer crews’ story and make it clear that our charity exists to save lives at sea. Our mission is to save every one. Without the generosity of our supporters, we could not save lives at sea. Every one of you is a lifesaver.
"We’ve seen a surge in donations over the past 24 hours – both in terms of one-off gifts and hundreds of you who’ve set up a monthly donation. We’re overwhelmed by and incredibly grateful for your kindness."
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