The emergency services provided assistance to two boats in difficulty. 236 migrants have been rescued in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais since Friday.
The French authorities rescued this Sunday 78 migrants in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais as they tried to cross the Channel to reach the British coasts, indicates the maritime prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea in a press release.
The Gris-Nez regional operational surveillance and rescue center (Cross) was first informed that a migrant boat was in difficulty in the Dyck area (North), according to a press release from the maritime prefecture. The 35 occupants, therefore five women and six children, were rescued and dropped off at the port of Calais around 10 a.m.
In addition, 43 migrants in difficulty off the coast of Touquet (Pas-de-Calais) were rescued, including “seven wounded appearing to have skin lesions”, and returned to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer. They were taken care of by the mobile emergency and resuscitation service (Smur) 62 and the border police (PAF) 62.
More than 9,500 crossings in 2020
These relief operations bring to 236 the number of migrants rescued in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais since Friday.
Since the end of 2018, these illegal crossings of the Channel by migrants seeking to reach the United Kingdom have increased despite repeated warnings from the authorities underlining the danger linked to the density of traffic, strong currents and the low temperature of the sea. ‘water.
In 2020, more than 9,500 crossings or attempted crossings of this type were recorded, i.e. four times more than in 2019, according to a report from the maritime prefecture. Six people were killed there and three disappeared, after four deaths in 2019.
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