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French authorities rescue 61 migrants including children in Channel

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French authorities rescued 61 migrants, including children, from the English Channel on Tuesday (29 November). This was one of the most significant emergency operations in recent months. The calm seas drew a large number of migrants in small boats towards the coast of Britain.

Rescue workers at Boulogne said that about 30 migrants had to be pulled from the frigid waters to get aboard a French rescue boat after they tried to jump on their rubber dinghy which was taking in water.

Officials stated that the rescue occurred approximately one nautical mile within British territorial waters.

The refugees claimed that the dinghy was carrying Afghan, Indian, Iranian, and Pakistani nationals. It left France in the early hours of the morning.

Emergency workers handed out blankets and clothing to the migrants at the quayside.

After calm weather and increasing numbers of people making the dangerous crossing, French police stopped 50 migrants trying to cross the Channel from Britain on Tuesday.

Guy Allemand was the mayor of Sangatte, a small village near Calais. He said that some migrants were forced to return by police, but that 100 more had reached open water.

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He said that migrant trafficking networks have recently changed their methods.

He said that traffickers now arrive in 'taxi boats', and refugees are asked to swim into the water to capture them.

More than 40,000 people have crossed Channel to Britain this year in small boats. This is an increase of 28,526 people in 2021. A rise in departures was due to unusually mild November weather.

The agreement, which was signed by France and Britain earlier this month, amounts to €72.2 million to increase their joint efforts to stop illegal migrants from crossing the Channel.

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