NEUFCHATEL-HARDELOT (France), July 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Within hours of dawn breaking on a scorching day, five boats carrying dozens of migrants departed from the beaches of northern France bound for the English coast
Some 20 migrants set off from Equihen beach in the northern Pas-de-Calais region around 4:00 am on Monday. Only four were wearing life jackets as they clambered on the small boat.
They represent just a fraction of the almost 20,000 people who have made the journey across the Channel since January – a record, according to UK government figures released Tuesday.
But the journey can be perilous, with 17 people losing their lives during the crossing so far this year, following a record 78 deaths last year.
Despite the risks, the migrants set out to sea in a rubber dinghy, lightly loaded compared to the typically overcrowded vessels often used to cross the Channel.
A more chaotic scene played out a couple of hours later as another group paced anxiously along the beach, awaiting their turn.
When four other boats arrived, the migrants dashed towards the sea, under the gaze of tourists or locals walking their dogs along the picturesque beach.
Police on the beach held tear gas canisters, forcing some migrants back towards the dunes, while others managed to slip past and scramble into small boats in the water.
Some migrants, with children perched on their shoulders, struggled to board the rubber boats, standing in water up to their necks before eventually turning back to the shore.
Volunteers waited for those who turned back, ready to pass out clothing and drinks.
On Monday alone, 879 migrants arrived on the English coast on small boats, the third highest number on a single day so far this year.
As part of efforts to stem migrant crossings, French authorities intervene on land to try to prevent boats from leaving.
Once in the water, however, French police can intercede only to rescue passengers if a boat asks for help.
Smugglers have adapted by using so-called “taxi boats” to bring passengers out to other vessels waiting in choppy waters just offshore, rather than departing from the beach.
One particularly harrowing boarding on Monday lasted an hour and a half, as a coast guard vessel and rescue services circled nearby — not intervening, but standing by to ensure the moment did not end in tragedy.
That could change as Paris says it is now considering stopping migrant boats in its shallow coastal waters, though the move raises safety and legal issues.
But for now, as the boats set off on their journey across the Channel on Monday, police remained on shore, watching from a distance as the vessels moved out to sea. — NNN-AGENCIES
