Paris, Aug. 5 (ANI): More than 150 migrants were rescued Tuesday after a boat caught fire in the English Channel while attempting to cross from France to Britain.
CNN, citing French and British authorities, reported that the vessel’s engine caught fire and its “condition deteriorated very rapidly,” prompting a joint coast guard rescue operation that brought 157 people to safety.
Before the incident, French authorities had already rescued five people overnight Monday, CNN reported. Officials deployed multiple vessels to monitor the boat after it departed from an area near Boulogne-sur-Mer because of the extreme dangers associated with such crossings. Authorities said there were no reports of fatalities.
Small-boat crossings have become a major political issue in the United Kingdom in recent years, driving stricter immigration policies under successive governments and contributing to the rise of Reform UK, a populist hard-right party, according to CNN.
CNN reported that just two days before the rescue, newly elected British Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged that his administration would be “relentless” in addressing the crisis.
Burnham pointed to recent improvements in enforcement operations while emphasizing the need to establish a framework that “offers safe routes for people as well, because that also takes away the selling point of the gangs,” CNN reported.
Tens of thousands of people have attempted the dangerous crossing since 2018 in search of asylum or better living conditions, often fleeing conflict or persecution in countries including Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iran, and Sudan, according to CNN. Migrants frequently rely on overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels, including dinghies, kayaks, and rigid-hulled inflatable boats.
Despite the risks, many migrants remain determined to reach the United Kingdom and “routinely refuse assistance offered by French resources, only accepting help when faced with situations of extreme emergency,” according to a statement from the French maritime prefecture cited by CNN.
CNN reported, citing data from the Migration Observatory, that 162 people died attempting to cross the English Channel in migrant boats between 2018 and 2025. (ANI)
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