French authorities said they rescued 107 migrants trying to cross the English Channel from France to England on Wednesday.
During Christmas Day, 12 rescue operations were carried out along the coast of northern France, including that of a ship that suffered engine problems, the French maritime prefecture of the Channel and Sea of the Sea said in a statement. North.
In the morning, 30 passengers were rescued from a ship near Dunkirk, while the others on board wanted to continue and were taken into British custody once they reached British waters, maritime authorities said.
Later that day another ship with engine damage was sighted, also near Dunkirk, and all 51 passengers were rescued.
26 people were later pulled from a boat that was in difficulty near Calais.
The English Channel is “a particularly dangerous area, especially in the middle of winter for precarious and overloaded ships,” the statement said.
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At least 73 immigrants They have died trying to cross the English Channel into Britain this year, according to Pas-de-Calais authorities, making 2024 the deadliest year on record for 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 greater international cooperation against gangs, which he described as a “terrorism-like threat to global security.”
