French coastguard rescues 36 migrants in English Channel

The French coastguard has rescued 36 migrants in the English Channel who were trying to cross to Britain in an inflatable dinghy, the maritime authority for northern France said on Thursday.

French authorities were intercepting inflatable boats several times a month, returning people to French shores, a spokeswoman said.

In November, 27 migrants died when their dinghy deflated as they tried to cross the English Channel.

The dead included a pregnant woman and three children.

This comes as 2021 saw a record 28,000 migrants cross the English Channel from France.

Boris Johnson has announced the Royal Navy will aid the coast guard and RNLI in tackling the issue.