French authorities said they rescued 107 migrants trying to cross the English Channel from France to England on Wednesday.
During the Christmas period, 12 rescue operations were carried out along the coast of northern France, including a boat that encountered engine trouble, the Maritime Prefecture of the French Channel and the North Sea said in a statement.
In the morning, 30 passengers were rescued from the boat near Dunkirk, while others on board wished to continue their journey and were taken into custody when they reached British waters, maritime authorities said.
Another boat with engine damage was spotted later that day, also near Dunkirk, and all 51 passengers were rescued.
26 people were later removed from the boat, which ran into difficulties near Calais.
The canal is “a particularly dangerous area, especially in the dead of winter for rickety and overloaded boats,” the statement said.
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At least 73 migrants died trying to cross According to Pas de Calais authorities, this year 2024 was the deadliest year in the history of these crossings.
Tens of thousands more made it to 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 in the fight against the gangs, which he described as “a global security threat similar to terrorism”.