140 migrants in single dinghy rescued in English Channel
Around 140 migrants were rescued from a single inflatable dinghy in the English Channel after launching from Normandy. The incident highlights a shift in smuggling tactics toward using larger vessels to avoid detection amid increased policing.
Why it matters
The event underscores the ongoing challenges in managing small boat crossings and the evolving strategies of human smugglers in the English Channel.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Migrants on an inflatable dinghy near Calais in a separate attempt on Sunday
Around 140 migrants in a single dinghy have been rescued in the English Channel.
The people on the inflatable vessel, which launched from the Normandy coast overnight, requested help in UK waters and were picked up by two RNLI boats, the French coastguard said. They will now be taken to shore in the UK.
It comes days after Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron met to discuss how to "scale up" efforts to reduce small boat crossings.
In August a single small boat carrying a record 230 people successfully crossed the Channel .
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