French helpers rescue more than 200 migrants in distress in the English Channel
French helpers have rescued more than 200 migrants in distress from the English Channel within 24 hours. They were on several boats and one of them had lost consciousness due to hypothermia, according to the prefecture responsible. The high number of migrants attempting to cross the English Channel to the UK can be explained by the weather conditions.
After days of storms on the coast, the weather had improved over the weekend. Two of those rescued were picked up on a canoe off the coast of Calais on Sunday morning. The night before, a state-operated lifeboat had picked up 60 people in distress at sea.
During another rescue operation on Sunday, however, some migrants did not allow themselves to be taken on board. "They managed to restart the engine (of their boat) and refused to be rescued," explained the prefecture. They were therefore let go and another boat was assigned to monitor them.
According to a count by the AFP news agency, more than 100,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel from France in small, often unseaworthy boats since 2018. Last summer, the number of people making the dangerous crossing of the Channel peaked at 755 per day. According to the prefecture, there is an average of 53 people on a boat, almost twice as many as in 2021.
On November 24, 2021, 27 migrants lost their lives in a boat accident on the English Channel. It was the worst accident of its kind on the English Channel to date. France receives money from the UK to monitor the coast. Aircraft and drones are also used for this purpose.
- The awareness of the dangerous journey led many migrants to travel undercooled, exacerbating the health risks during their journey in the English Channel.
- Despite speaking different languages, such as French or English, the migrants shared a common distress at sea and relied on the helpers to navigate away from danger.
- Following the rescue operations, some migrants expressed gratitude in English, expressing their relief and gratitude for the French helpers who had saved their lives in the English Channel.
Source: www.ntv.de
