The number of shipwrecked migrants rescued off Calais and taken care of by the State has tripled in 2021.
Attempts to cross the Channel to reach England are not diminishing at the start of the year. The maritime prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea announced that it had rescued 77 migrants in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais from Tuesday night to Wednesday at the end of the day.
“On the night of Tuesday January 25 to Wednesday January 26, 2022 at the end of the day, the Gris-Nez Regional Operational Center for Surveillance and Rescue (CROSS) identifies several boats in difficulty in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais”, writes the maritime prefecture in a press release.
A first machine from the French Navy was hired to rescue a boat in difficulty and brought 29 shipwrecked people to the port of Calais early in the morning this Wednesday. The same ship then rescued 24 castaways at the end of the day and also dropped them off at the port of Calais.
28,935 crossings in 2021
The all-weather boat SNS 077 Our Lady of Risban of the national sea rescue company was also called upon this Wednesday and rescued 24 shipwrecked people, also brought back to the port of Calais.
“All the castaways, once back at the dock, are taken care of by border police (PAF) 62 and civil security teams”, specifies the maritime prefecture in its press release.
The year 2021 has seen the number of Channel crossings drastically increase. According to British news agency PA, at least 28,935 migrants made the perilous crossing in 2021, more than triple the previous year. The number of shipwrecked migrants rescued off Calais and taken care of by the State has tripled in 2021.