Authorities in northern France say they have prevented several attempts to transport migrants to the UK via the English Channel by boat over the course of 24 hours. The number of people attempting to cross the Channel has risen sharply in recent years.
French police on Monday night (July 4) stopped a vehicle with seven migrants near the major fishing port of Boulogne-sur-Mer after a pursuit, arresting two suspected human smugglers.
On the same evening, police stopped an attempted crossing close to a beach at Les Hemmes de Marck, police tweeted, confiscating nautical equipment present at the site. Les Hemmes de Marck is located very close to Calais and about a 40-minute car drive away from Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Meanwhile, a French customs vessel rescued 48 migrants in the English Channel off the coast near Dunkirk after their boat had broken down, dpa reported.
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English Channel, a site of perilous journeys
Just a week earlier, French police arrested 15 suspected smugglers who were allegedly involved in the deaths of 27 migrants when their makeshift boat sank in November 2021 off Calais – one of the worst disasters involving migrants trying to cross the English Channel. Two of the 27 migrants were minors aged seven and 16.
French newspaper Le Parisien reported that the suspected smugglers are believed to belong to an Afghan smuggling network that demanded around €3,000 for the sea crossing. Ten of the suspects are said to be mostly of Afghan or Pakistani origin, the newspaper added.
Authorities have registered 777 attempts to cross the Channel in small boats from the beginning of 2022 to June 13, according to the French Interior Ministry. A total of 20,132 people were involved, marking an increase of 68% compared to the same period in 2021.
With dpa