A calm Channel and mild weather raised fears of a further increase in Channel crossings on rickety and overly loaded boats. Rightly so: the maritime gendarmerie and the national navy rescued 78 people on Saturday who were trying to reach the British coast illegally via the Strait of Pas-de-Calais.
According to a press release, the maritime prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea assures that on Saturday morning, the Regional Operational Surveillance and Rescue Center (Cross) Gris-Nez was informed that “several boats” were in difficulty.
[#Operations] assistance and rescue of 78 people in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais (62) with the coordination of @CROSSGrisNez
➡️https://t.co/MbuY7jckYs pic.twitter.com/iVtBV9yvgS
— Maritime Prefecture Channel and North Sea (@premarmanche) March 30, 2024
A coastal patrol boat from the maritime gendarmerie was sent to a boat whose engine was not working, and which was in difficulty off the coast of Bray-Dunes (North). The PCG Armoise took on board the 55 people who were on the boat, they were escorted back and taken care of at the port of Dunkirk.
In the morning, another boat was reported in difficulty off the coast of Marck (Pas-de-Calais). The National Navy patrol boat sent to the site was able to take care of the twenty passengers who accepted it, who were taken back to Calais. Others refused any help and “taking into account the risks incurred by migrants in the event of restrictive actions to force them to embark on State rescue means (falling overboard, thermal shock, various traumas), it was decided to let them continue on their way,” says the maritime prefecture. The Cross maintained its vigilance, with the support of the patrol boat.
One of the busiest shipping routes in the world
At the same time, a launch from the nautical brigade of the National Gendarmerie went to meet a sailboat annex, which had been declared stolen during the night. Three migrants were on board. However, the strait is one of the busiest maritime routes in the world, with more than 600 commercial ships passing through it, on average, per day.
According to Voix du Nord, civil protection teams were deployed this Sunday morning between Wimereux and Ambleteuse, near the beaches of Slack Bay, a “spot” for departures towards Great Britain, to rescue people who would be pushed to pay a high price for their passage on a day of calm weather. In this area, the wind is greater than or equal to force 7 on an annual average 120 days per year.
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Despite the difficulties, since January 1, 4,644 people, all nationalities combined, have crossed the Channel, an increase of 23% compared to the same period last year. Since his arrival at Downing Street a year and a half ago, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made the fight against irregular immigration one of his priorities, insisting that he wants to “stop the boats”. In 2023, a total of nearly 30,000 migrants crossed the Channel illegally, a figure down sharply compared to the record reached in 2022 (45,000), which the government highlights in its report.