• Wion
  • /World
  • /French ship rescues 45 migrants from English Channel

French ship rescues 45 migrants from English Channel

French ship rescues 45 migrants from English Channel

English Channel

Forty-five migrants were rescued in the English Channel after their improvised boat found itself in trouble off Dunkirk, French authorities said.

Several of the people "appeared to be in a state of hypothermia" after being brought aboard a patrol ship, the French prefecture in charge of the Channel and North Sea said in a statement on Saturday.

The migrants were "all safe and sound" when they were put ashore in Calais in the early evening.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

With busy traffic and powerful winds and currents, the Channel crossing can prove extremely dangerous for small boats despite the apparent short distance between Calais and British port Dover.

To this end, on Saturday, London and Paris signed a deal aimed at shutting down the route, which calls for French patrols to be doubled and for radar and drones to be used to spot migrant boats earlier.

Increasing numbers of people have attempted the sea crossing from France to Britain since 2018.