Nine Iraqi nationals rescued from yacht off Brixham

The yacht got into difficulty 10 miles off Berry Head near Brixham Credit: ITV

Nine people from Iraq have been rescued after their yacht got into difficulty off the coast of Brixham in Devon.

Torbay’s RNLI lifeboat crew launched to a “boat in difficulty 10 miles off Berry Head” on Tuesday 17th September.

The boat was then towed into Brixham Harbour.

The Home Office has now confirmed that the nine people rescued were Iraqi nationals and that they were taken into custody after the rescue.

A spokesperson said their cases would be “dealt with according to immigration rules”.

They added: “We all want to see an end to dangerous small boat crossings, which undermine our border security and put lives at risk.

“As we have seen with so many recent devastating tragedies in the Channel, the people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay.

"We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.

“We are making progress, bolstering our personnel numbers in the UK and abroad. Our new Border Security Command will strengthen our global partnerships and enhance our efforts to investigate, arrest, and prosecute these evil criminals.”