Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
Twenty-seven migrants including seven children have been rescued in two separate incidents by the French Navy while attempting a dangerous crossing of the English Channel from France to the UK.
The two rescue operations were carried out off the coast of Boulogne-sur-Mer in the north-western French department of Pas-de-Calais.
The small vessel was found in difficulty about two kilometres (1.24 miles) off the coast of the commune of Audresselles south of the Cape Gris Nez on Monday morning at around 4:30am.
Sixteen migrants, including two women and six children, were rescued by a French navy vessel, the PSP Cormoran, according to the maritime Prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea (PREMAR), the local French maritime authorities.
A short while later, at around 8:30am, a coastguard patrol rescued 11 migrants, including four women and one child, on another boat trying to reach England. They were found off the beach of Equihen.
There were no casualties in the incidents and all the people who were rescued were taken back to port in Boulogne-sur-Mer where they were handed over to local French border police (Police aux frontieres; PAF). The nationalities of the rescued migrants were not disclosed by the local authorities and it was not revealed how they discovered that the migrants were there.
In a statement, the PREMAR warned migrants against trying to cross the Channel as it is usually very busy and the conditions are “dangerous”, adding that “the weather conditions are often difficult (120 days of wind greater than or equal to force 7 on average per year for example).”
According to local media, cases of migrants attempting to cross the Channel from France to England have increased since 2018, despite the danger caused by the area usually being dense with maritime traffic, strong currents, and cold waters.
In 2019, 2,758 migrants were reportedly intercepted trying to cross the Channel to England, which is four times more than in 2018, according to local maritime authorities.
Since the beginning of the year, there have reportedly been over 1,000 illegal crossing attempts.
On 3rd May, the PREMAR also reported rescuing 13 migrants off Dunkerque after their small dinghy was found in difficulty.
