Police in northern France have stopped several illegal attempts by migrants to cross to the UK by boat. In addition, according to authorities, 48 people have been rescued from distress in the English Channel. On Tuesday evening, officials stopped a car after a chase near Boulogne-sur-Mer. Inside were seven migrants. The two suspected smugglers were arrested.
Also at night, police officers have prevented a crossing attempt near the beach at another location. A dinghy and equipment were seized. A French customs vessel rescued 48 migrants in distress off the coast of Dunkirk on Monday evening. Her boat was adrift in the sea with an engine failure.
Tugboat network demanded 3000 euros per crossing and person
A week ago, French police arrested 15 suspected smugglers linked to the deaths of 27 migrants when their boat sank seven months ago. As the newspaper “Le Parisien” reported, the detainees are said to belong to an Afghan smuggling network, which is said to have collected about 3,000 euros per person for the dangerous crossing.
28,000 migrants will cross the Channel in 2021
The refugee crisis in Calais has been going on for years. From the beginning of the year to June 13, 777 attempts to cross the strait in small boats were recorded, as the French Ministry of the Interior recently announced. A total of 20,132 people were involved, an increase of 68 percent from the same period last year. Record figures had already been mentioned for 2021. 52,000 people tried to cross the Channel, 28,500 succeeded, according to the French ministry.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
