French authorities said they rescued 107 migrants trying to cross the Channel from France to England on Wednesday.
During Christmas Day, 12 rescue operations were organized along the coasts of northern France, including that of a boat with engine failure, said the maritime prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea in a press release.
In the morning, 30 passengers were rescued from a boat near Dunkirk, while the others on board wanted to continue their journey and were taken into British custody once they arrived in British waters, maritime authorities said.
Another boat with a damaged engine was spotted later in the day, also near Dunkirk, and all 51 passengers were rescued.
Later, 26 people were evacuated from a boat in difficulty near Calais.
The Channel is “a particularly dangerous area, particularly in the middle of winter for precarious and overloaded boats”, specifies the press release.
BERNARD BARRON/AFP via Getty Images
At least 73 migrants died trying to cross the Channel to Great Britain this year, according to Pas-de-Calais authorities, making 2024 the deadliest year on record for crossings.
Tens of thousands more have reached Britain, where the government has vowed to crack down on smuggling gangs.
In November, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for greater international cooperation against gangs, which he described as a “threat to global security similar to terrorism.”