Migrants recently used kayaks to cross the approximately 30 kilometers wide estuary between France and England.
A sporting goods manufacturer has now removed these from its range.
Calais - Thousands of migrants attempt to cross the English Channel every year.
At the beginning of November, almost 300 people were rescued from the inlet between France and England, and recently some migrants have been shown to have used kayaks and other makeshift boats for their risky journey.
Now a sports equipment retailer reacted with a drastic step.
Migrants cross the English Channel: sporting goods manufacturer Decathlon stops selling kayaks
In light of the recent events, the French sporting goods manufacturer Decathlon stopped selling kayaks in two branches near the English Channel. As the Decathlon press office announced to the AFP news agency, “due to the current situation”, kayaks are no longer available in the shops in Calais and in Grande-Synthe. However, sporting goods "that increase safety at sea, such as vests, paddles or thermal protection" will continue to be found in the range of the two affected locations, as the press office added.
For crossing the English Channel, which is around 34 kilometers wide at its narrowest point, the paddle boats are unsuitable, according to the company's reasoning.
People could endanger their lives trying to cross.
It also fits that the shops themselves initiated the proposal to remove the kayaks from their range.
Tens of thousands of migrants want to cross the canal - growing tensions between England and France
Since last Friday, three refugees who wanted to cross the canal in kayaks have been missing. Just the day before, two kayaks were discovered on the coast of Calais in northern France, and two shipwrecked people were rescued.
However, they represent only a small part of the problem.
Almost 30,000 migrants tried to cross the English Channel to Great Britain between January and the end of September this year.
The number of life-threatening endeavors has increased considerably in the past few weeks, which means that the number of accidents on the strait has also increased.
As a result, tensions between the French and British governments increased.
The representatives of the two countries assured that they would further intensify their cooperation in order to curb the "dangerous crossings".
This was declared by France's Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and his British equivalent, Priti Patel, on Tuesday.
In Grande-Synthe, security forces cleared a wild refugee camp with more than 1000 residents on the same day.
(ajr)