151 people trying to cross the Channel were rescued during two separate rescue operations on the night of Saturday November 30 to Sunday December 1, off the coast of Calais.
151 migrants who attempted to cross the Channel to reach the United Kingdom on two separate boats were rescued during the night of Saturday November 30 to Sunday December 1, including four who fell into the water, announced the Manche maritime prefecture and of the North Sea (Prémar).
In the evening, a passenger ship spotted a boat off the coast of Calais, the maritime prefecture reported in a press release.
On site, emergency services recovered two people from the sea in a state of hypothermia “before dropping them off at the quayside in Calais to be taken care of by land emergency services”.
The people on board the overloaded boat continued on their way before requesting assistance. A total of 82 people were rescued, including three with minor burns, the maritime prefecture said.
Two people fell into the water during the second operation
During the night, the Regional Operational Surveillance and Rescue Center (Cross) mobilized another vessel to assist another boat “overloaded and in poor condition” off the coast of Calais and the emergency services recovered a total of 67 people, including two fallen into the water.
This year, more than 70 people have lost their lives during illegal crossing attempts, according to the Pas-de-Calais prefecture. This figure makes 2024 the deadliest year since 2018 and the start of these clandestine crossings of the Channel on small boats, called “small boats”.
