Agencies
Paris
France’s coastguard says it rescued 107 migrants who came into difficulty while making the deadly crossing over the English Channel on December 25.
The people were rescued from three different boats and brought to the ports of Dunkirk and Boulogne-sur-Mer, according a statement from the maritime prefecture on Thursday. Migrants frequently cross the English Channel in small inflatable boats in an effort to find work and safety in Britain.
However, since the crossing is so dangerous, partly because the strait is used by many large ships, many people lose their lives at sea here.
Meanwhile, more than 450 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats on Christmas Day - the first arrivals for more than a week.
A total of 11 boats made the journey to the UK from France on Wednesday morning, with more expected to follow in the coming days. The total number of Christmas Day arrivals was 451, according to official government figures.
A British Home Office spokesperson said: “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.”
More than 35,000 people have made the journey so far in 2024, which is 20% higher than last year.
Those who arrived in Dover on December 25 broke a period of more than a week of no crossings. The last time vessels carrying migrants were known to have made the journey was on December 14, when 160 people in three boats arrived.
