Agencies
Paris
The French Coastguard has rescued 223 migrants from distress in the English Channel within 48 hours, the maritime prefecture reported on Saturday.
On their way to the United Kingdom, several of the usually overcrowded small boats carrying migrants ran into trouble, the maritime prefecture reported.
Rescue ships brought the shipwrecked individuals to the northern French ports of Boulogne and Dunkerque.
Some of the migrants were already drifting in the water or were trapped on sandbanks by the tides. Others refused assistance from the coastguard because they wanted to continue the dangerous crossing at all costs to reach their destination.
Migrants repeatedly cross the English Channel to reach the United Kingdom. They often attempt the journey in small inflatable boats. Many migrants come from some of the poorest and most chaotic parts of the world, and many ask to claim asylum once they are picked up by the UK authorities.
The crossing is dangerous, partly because the strait is navigated by many large ships. People frequently lose their lives during these crossings.
The United Kingdom has been trying to curb migration across the English Channel for some time, also with French assistance, and pays millions of pounds to France for this.
The new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer consulted with French President Emmanuel Macron about the issue on Thursday.
