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French and British rescue teams have saved 157 migrants after the small boat they were travelling in caught fire while attempting to cross the English Channel, authorities in both countries confirmed on Tuesday.
The rescue operation is among the largest recorded since authorities began tracking Channel crossings in 2018, highlighting the growing risks faced by migrants attempting the dangerous journey from France to the United Kingdom.
According to the prefect’s office in France’s Pas-de-Calais region, the incident occurred on Tuesday morning when “a small boat caught fire on the boundary between French and British waters, forcing its occupants to jump overboard.” Officials said no casualties were reported following the emergency response.
French maritime authorities said the migrants had departed from the coastal village of Veules-les-Roses in Normandy on Monday before the vessel encountered difficulties during the crossing.
A spokesperson for the British coastguard confirmed that UK rescue vessels and a lifeboat were involved in the operation after “a vessel caught fire earlier this morning whilst in the French search and rescue region.”
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) also confirmed its involvement, stating that a lifeboat was launched at 6:00 am following reports of the incident.
The latest rescue comes amid concerns that migrant boats crossing the Channel are becoming increasingly overcrowded. Witnesses in northern France have recently reported seeing larger-than-usual inflatable boats, some measuring around 12 metres long compared with the typical 8 to 10 metres.
French maritime authorities told AFP that the average number of passengers packed onto these small boats has increased significantly, rising from 26 people per vessel in 2021 to about 65 since the beginning of this year.
France has remained a major departure point for migrants seeking to reach Britain, with many paying thousands of dollars to smugglers who place them aboard overloaded inflatable boats to navigate one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
More than 41,000 migrants arrived on England’s southern coast last year, marking the second-highest annual figure since records began. So far this year, at least 14 people have died attempting the crossing, while 29 deaths were recorded in the Channel last year, according to official French and British sources.
