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More than 200 migrants are rescued in the Channel by France

More than 200 migrants were rescued late Tuesday as they attempted to cross the Channel in improvised boats to reach Britain.

In seven separate operations between Monday and Tuesday evening, 210 migrants, including four women and a child, were rescued and brought back to the north French coast after their boats were in difficulty, they said in a statement.

They were escorted back to Calais, Dunkirk, or Boulogne and cared for by border police, firefighters, or the maritime emergency medical service in certain cases.

Since late 2018, an increasing number of migrants have attempted to cross the English Channel by sea, despite warnings from authorities about the risks of the major shipping lane, which is also vulnerable to strong currents and cold temperatures.

The impending arrival of winter hasn’t discouraged anyone from trying the perilous journey.

A migrant’s death was discovered in a waterlogged boat on a beach in Wissant last Thursday, among two people suffering from hypothermia.

According to Vice-Admiral Philippe Dutrieux, who is in charge of the Channel’s coastal forces, some 15,400 migrants attempted the crossing in the first eight months of this year, with 3,500 of them being retrieved “in difficulty” and returned to France.

Around 9,500 individuals tried or completed crossings in 2020, compared to 2,300 in 2019 and 600 in 2018. 

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