France to charter two extra Channel rescue ships
France will charter two extra rescue ships as the number of migrants making the perilous sea crossing to the UK reaches a record high, French authorities said on Wednesday.
More than 40,000 migrants have crossed the Channel to Britain so far this year, according to the UK government.
Earlier this month Britain and France signed a deal for UK authorities to increase what their French counterparts are paid to prevent the crossings, as strained relations improve under the UK's new leader Rishi Sunak.
"Faced with the increase in the number of attempted crossings... despite the risks incurred on precarious boats, the prime minister has decided to strengthen the rescue system at sea in the coming weeks," said the French Secretariat-General for the Sea, which comes under the authority of the French prime minister.
"Two additional vessels specifically dedicated to this mission" would be chartered as soon as possible to help save lives, it said.
It cited "the arrival of colder weather" and the growing risk of "serious accidents" for migrants "on the world's busiest sea route".
It also mentioned a second phase of the plan involving "aerial drones".
These would "contribute to a better real-time understanding of the maritime situation, particularly when several boats attempt to cross simultaneously", it said.
French emergency services rescued 240 migrants in small boats heading across the Channel to the southern coast of England between Monday and Tuesday this week, local authorities said.
UK police on Tuesday arrested a man suspected of playing a "key role" in the deaths of at least 27 people who drowned trying to cross in a dinghy last November in the deadliest such tragedy.
Among the 27 -- aged seven to 47 -- were 16 Iraqi Kurds, four Afghans, three Ethiopians, one Somali, one Egyptian and one Vietnamese migrant.
French and British coastguard services passed the buck as their dinghy sank, according to reports in mid-November.
Le Monde newspaper said the shipwrecked migrants had called French maritime authorities around fifteen times to ask for help -- to no avail.
In one phone call AFP was informed about, a migrant asked for help, saying he was "in the water".
The operator responded that she could not help him as he was in English waters.
He insisted that he was in French waters, urging her to send assistance. The conversation was then cut off.
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More than 40,000 migrants have crossed the Channel to Britain so far this year, according to the UK government.
Earlier this month Britain and France signed a deal for UK authorities to increase what their French counterparts are paid to prevent the crossings, as strained relations improve under the UK's new leader Rishi Sunak.
"Faced with the increase in the number of attempted crossings... despite the risks incurred on precarious boats, the prime minister has decided to strengthen the rescue system at sea in the coming weeks," said the French Secretariat-General for the Sea, which comes under the authority of the French prime minister.
"Two additional vessels specifically dedicated to this mission" would be chartered as soon as possible to help save lives, it said.
It cited "the arrival of colder weather" and the growing risk of "serious accidents" for migrants "on the world's busiest sea route".
It also mentioned a second phase of the plan involving "aerial drones".
These would "contribute to a better real-time understanding of the maritime situation, particularly when several boats attempt to cross simultaneously", it said.
French emergency services rescued 240 migrants in small boats heading across the Channel to the southern coast of England between Monday and Tuesday this week, local authorities said.
UK police on Tuesday arrested a man suspected of playing a "key role" in the deaths of at least 27 people who drowned trying to cross in a dinghy last November in the deadliest such tragedy.
Among the 27 -- aged seven to 47 -- were 16 Iraqi Kurds, four Afghans, three Ethiopians, one Somali, one Egyptian and one Vietnamese migrant.
French and British coastguard services passed the buck as their dinghy sank, according to reports in mid-November.
Le Monde newspaper said the shipwrecked migrants had called French maritime authorities around fifteen times to ask for help -- to no avail.
In one phone call AFP was informed about, a migrant asked for help, saying he was "in the water".
The operator responded that she could not help him as he was in English waters.
He insisted that he was in French waters, urging her to send assistance. The conversation was then cut off.
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