French authorities said they rescued 107 migrants trying to cross the English Channel from France to England on Wednesday.
Over Christmas Day, 12 rescue operations were organized along the coast of northern France, including a boat with engine trouble, the French Channel and the North Sea maritime prefecture said in report
In the morning, 30 passengers were rescued from a boat near Dunkirk, while the others on board wanted to continue and were arrested in Britain when they reached British waters, said the – maritime authorities.
Another engine-damaged ship was spotted later in the day, also near Dunkirk, and 51 passengers were rescued.
Later, 26 people were taken off a boat in trouble near Calais.
The Channel is “an extremely dangerous area, especially in the height of winter for fragile and overloaded vessels,” the statement said.
BERNARD BARRON/AFP via Getty Images
At least 73 migrants died trying to cross the Channel to Britain this year, according to Pas-de-Calais authorities, making 2024 the deadliest year on record for the crossings.
Tens of thousands more have arrived in Britain, where the government has vowed to crack down on people-smuggling gangs.
In November, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for more international cooperation against the groups, which he described as “a global security threat similar to terrorism”.
