more than 200 migrants rescued off Pas-de-Calais
217 castaways were taken care of during three operations this weekend near Calais and Dunkirk.
New rescue operations this All Saints weekend. The Regional Operational Center for Surveillance and Rescue (CROSS) Gris-Nez identified several boardings overnight from Saturday to Sunday. More than 200 migrants were rescued as they attempted to reach England across the English Channel, the maritime prefecture said in a statement.
Support by the border police
A first boarding difficulty was thus recovered during the night by the public service patrol boat, Pluvier, of the French Navy. 51 shipwrecked people were dropped off at the port of Calais. The patrol boat was again hired on Sunday to help a second boat. 24 castaways were dropped off at the port.
The coastguard patrol boat Jacques Oudart Fourmentin was also engaged this Sunday off Calais. 51 people were dropped off, this time at the port of Boulogne-sur-mer.
Finally, aboard the all-weather Jean Bart II canoe of the Dunkirk sea rescue company (SNSM), rescuers recovered 56 shipwrecked people overnight from Saturday to Sunday. He intervened once again to save 35 migrants. They were all dropped off at the port of Dunkirk.
Once docked, the castaways are taken care of by the border police and the departmental fire and rescue service.