French authorities rescue dozens of migrants in English Channel

The French coast guard rescued 36 migrants who were attempting to cross the English Channel in an inflatable boat, authorities told Reuters on Thursday.

A French spokesperson said the coast guard is intercepting multiple inflatable dinghies a month and returning migrants to France, according to Reuters.

In November, more than 30 migrants died trying to cross the English Channel in dinghies. The English Channel, which separates France from England, is a high-traffic area for commercial shipping known for its strong currents.

After November’s incident, the U.K. and France traded blame for the migrant deaths, and tensions remain high over how to curb the number of migrants attempting to cross the body of water, Reuters reported.

The number of migrants crossing the channel appears to be increasing. Last year saw 28,431 migrants make the journey across the English Channel, up from 8,417 in 2020, BBC reported.