Three Iranian men rescued from small boat in English Channel

The men were rescued just two weeks after 18 people were pulled from the water nearby

An RNLI lifeboat was involved in the rescue (file photo) (Getty)

Three Iranian men have been pulled from the English Channel off the coast of Sussex after their small boat got into difficulties.

The men were rescued from the water near Hastings in East Sussex on 11 June after an RNLI lifeboat, Coastguard helicopter and Border Force cutter HMC Seeker came to their aid.

They are currently in the custody of the Border Force, a spokesman told PA, stating: “HMC Seeker was deployed immediately and has picked up the individuals on board who are believed to be Iranian nationals. The group will now be processed.”

The last rescue in the Channel comes just weeks after 18 Albanian men were saved off the Kent coast when their inflatable dinghy sank.

The three Iranian men were picked up at 9.30am on Saturday follow a string of similar incidents involving Iranian citizens, with two Iranian men plucked from the water on 14 April after calling 999 from their mobile phone when their boat got into difficulty.

They later told authorities they had been at sea for eight hours and had not eaten for two days. They were also without life jackets.

Earlier in the year, in February, five Iranian men were pulled from a sinking dinghy off the coast of Calais after setting off for the UK from Dunkirk.

The latest interceptions of people attempting to enter the UK via boat have prompted warnings from immigration officials that the country’s coast is facing one of its greatest ever breaches from boats carrying migrants to the UK.