This was bound to happen people now see the rnli as a taxi boat for illegal immigrants ⚠️ RNLI chief hits back after volunteers branded “TRAITORS” amid migrant boat rowThe RNLI’s chief executive has condemned abuse directed at lifeboat volunteers following a weekend of anti-migrant demonstrations and a bitter dispute over where a boat carrying more than 100 migrants should be brought ashore.Peter Sparkes said recent events had created “deliberate misinformation and a misunderstanding” about the charity’s role, warning that some volunteers and staff had faced online abuse and, in the worst cases, physical threats.Footage circulating online reportedly showed RNLI volunteers being branded “traitors” after helping a dinghy to safety in Portsmouth.The comments came after protesters gathered at the Port of Dover and Portsmouth. Police said vehicles were damaged and officers were injured during a confrontation in Portsmouth.The row escalated after requests to land an RNLI boat carrying more than 100 migrants at Southampton and Portsmouth were refused. Associated British Ports said Southampton was not the closest port where there was a “safety of life at sea issue”.Digital Secretary Lisa Nandy also told MPs she had spoken to technology companies after the names, addresses and photographs of RNLI volunteers were reportedly shared online.Sparkes said illegal migration was a “polarising subject” but urged people to be mindful of misinformation.He added that RNLI crews “strive only to prevent people like you and me from drowning at sea”.SOURCES: RNLI chief executive Peter Sparkes statement; UK Parliament; Associated British Ports.VERIFICATION SCORE: 92/100 ✅ Beloud