New tragedies narrowly avoided. Fifty-one migrants were rescued on Sunday in the Channel during two separate rescue operations, the Channel maritime prefecture said in a statement on Monday. “Once at the dock, the rescued people were taken care of by the land rescue services and the border police,” she said.
In detail, the assistance services intervened with a first boat “early in the morning”. Twenty-six people were rescued at that time. Later in the day, a second rescue crew assisted another boat. On board, 25 people requested assistance and were disembarked in Calais (Pas-de-Calais). The others refused assistance and continued on their way.
“Given the risks of falling overboard or injuries incurred by people in the event of forced intervention by French emergency services, the choice is made to let the other people present on the boats continue their journey”, indicates the Manche maritime prefecture.
These operations take place during a day during which “numerous departures of migrant boats” were “reported to the regional operational surveillance and rescue center” (CROSS) in the Channel and the North Sea. “This maritime sector is one of the busiest areas in the world, with more than 600 commercial ships passing through it per day and the weather conditions are often difficult. It is therefore a particularly dangerous sector, particularly in the middle of winter for precarious and overloaded boats,” concludes the maritime prefecture.
