Eighty-eight migrants were "rescued" off Boulogne-sur-Mer as they tried to reach England on board three separate boats, said the maritime prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea. this Monday.
The Gris-Nez regional operational surveillance and rescue center (Cross) was first notified that a boat was "in difficulty" off the coast of Boulogne-sur-Mer.
The Cross then hired the public service patrol boat (PSP) Flamant of the French Navy, who recovered on board the 11 castaways (including two women) and deposited them at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer where they were taken in. charge by the border police (PAF) of Pas-de-Calais, said the maritime prefecture in a press release.
[#Scue] of 88 migrants in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais by the PSP Flamant and the RIAS Abeille Languedoc of the @MarineNationale under the coordination of #CROSS Gris-Nez
➡️ https://t.co/2roXudffF1 pic. twitter.com/7T4gBD0tmI
- Prefecture maritime Channel and North Sea (@premarmanche) July 26, 2021
The Cross Gris-Nez was then informed that two other boats were "in difficulty" off Boulogne-sur-Mer.
The Cross then engaged the intervention, assistance and rescue tug Abeille Languedoc chartered by the French Navy which recovered the 32 "castaways" (including a pregnant woman) on the first boat and 45 on the second. .
Illegal crossings are on the rise
The 77 castaways were dropped off at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer where they were taken care of by the border police (PAF) and the departmental fire and rescue operational center (Codis) of Pas-de-Calais.
They are all "safe and sound," said the maritime prefecture.
Since the end of 2018, illegal crossings of the Channel by migrants seeking to reach the United Kingdom have multiplied despite repeated warnings from the authorities who highlight the danger linked to the density of traffic, strong currents and low temperatures. some water.
In 2020, more than 9,500 crossings or attempted crossings of this type were recorded, four times more than in 2019, according to an official report.
Six people were killed there and three disappeared, after four deaths in 2019.
