Dozens of migrants attempting to reach the UK from Belgium have been rescued in the Channel after the engine of their small boat broke down. Seventy-eight migrants were brought to safety by the French coastguard, meaning more than 100 people have been rescued from small boats in the Channel in recent days.
The French maritime prefecture said it dispatched several vessels on Friday after receiving reports of multiple boats carrying migrants setting out. A translated statement from the French authority on Saturday morning said: “Following an engine failure of the migrant boat, the (coastguard vessel) rescued 78 people, then disembarked them at the quay in Calais for care by the rescue services on land.”
It added: “Determined to reach the United Kingdom, migrants who make the crossings aboard precarious boats refuse the assistance offered by French means and only accept it when faced with situations of extreme urgency.”
It comes after 25 people were rescued on Thursday having set off in small boats from France and Belgium.
Some 3,863 people have arrived in the UK via small boat so far in 2026, official figures show.
This includes 144 people who made the treacherous crossing in two boats on Thursday.
Urging others not to attempt the journey, a French coastguard spokesperson said: “This maritime sector is one of the busiest areas in the world and weather conditions are often difficult.
“It is therefore a particularly dangerous area, even when the sea seems fine.”
It comes as the Home Office confirmed the head of the UK’s Border Security Command will step down at the end of March as small boats continue to cross the Channel.
Martin Hewitt is leaving the post of border security commander after 18 months in the job.
His tenure saw the second-highest annual total of people crossing the Channel, with 41,472 people arriving in the UK by small boat last year.
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