British Authorities intercepted 90 migrants on Thursday and a further 102 migrants on Friday, all trying to cross the channel from Calais, France to Dover, UK in small inflatable boats.

Published 5 years ago

At its narrowest point between Calais and Dover the English Channel is just 34km wide. Thousands of migrants wait in migrant camps in Calais for the opportunity to get to the UK by boat, the majority nationals from countries such as Iran, Iraq, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Syria, Yemen, Egypt and Afghanistan.

Men, women and children risk everything to cross this narrow gap of water, probably one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world and at this time of year, near-freezing conditions.

In September last year 86 migrants were rescued in one day by British border control vessels, but Friday’s rescue of 102 migrants is a new record.

Most of the migrants were in small rubber boats and were detained by border control vessels in the Channel. Some had already made it to Dover, UK, where they were detained by police. 

Further Reading:

InfoMigrants – 90 Migrants intercepted in and near English Channel

Daily Mail – Border Force catch 102 migrants including seven children trying to cross Channel to UK in a new record – bringing total to 192 in 48 hours

Related Content: 

English Channel: 14 Migrants Caught Attempting to Cross Channel on Stolen Trawler

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