French authorities said they rescued 107 migrants trying to cross the English Channel from France to England on Wednesday.
Twelve rescue operations were carried out along the coast of northern France over Christmas Day, including a boat with engine failure, France’s English Channel and North Sea maritime prefecture said in a statement.
In the morning, 30 passengers were rescued from a boat near Dunkirk, while the others on board attempted to continue sailing and were taken into British custody after reaching British waters, maritime authorities said.
Another boat with engine failure was also spotted near Dunkirk later in the day and all 51 passengers were rescued.
Later, 26 people were thrown into trouble from a boat near Calais.
The canal is “a particularly dangerous area, particularly in midwinter, for unsafe and overloaded boats,” the statement said.
BERNARD BARRON/AFP via Getty Images
At least 73 migrants died trying to cross the border According to Pas-de-Calais authorities, the English Channel was diverted to Britain this year, making 2024 the deadliest year on record.
Tens of thousands more have reached Britain, where the government has vowed to crack down on people smuggling gangs.
In November, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for greater international cooperation against the gangs, which he described as a “global security threat similar to terrorism.”
