- Vehicle with 40 migrants stopped
- Channel crossings resume
- Increased resources for monitoring
In the northern French coastal town of Wimereux, a vehicle transporting forty migrants was stopped, and the driver was taken into police custody. Channel crossings by small boats have resumed following a lengthy hiatus during the holidays and the new year.
French police apprehended a suspected smuggler after the arrest of a vehicle transporting forty migrants in the vicinity of the coastal town where five fatalities occurred last weekend.
At 3.35 this morning, the vehicle was detained while travelling on the D237 road near Wimereux, just north of Boulogne-sur-Mer.
The driver was placed in the custody of the authorities.
For centuries, individuals smuggling have utilized the shorelines surrounding Wimereux to launch vessels bound for Britain.
Saturday night, five individuals en route to the United Kingdom perished near the coast of Wimereux after falling into the water during a failed crossing.
They allegedly perished from hypothermia due to the frigid water.
Rescuers evacuated the remaining passengers of the vessel following an operation that included watercraft, a helicopter, and dozens of officers.
Crossings Resume: 182 Rescued
Over the weekend, calm conditions allowed smugglers to cross, causing the French coastguard to rescue 182 more people.
There were no crossings after a lengthy pause during the holidays of Christmas and New Year.
To monitor the extensive coastlines frequented by traffickers, France has increased the number of personnel and equipment on the ground. This includes vehicles, personnel, and surveillance technology.
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Most of the increased resources have been financed through an agreement with the United Kingdom, which contributed approximately £40 million in supplementary assistance.
However, approximately half of the migrants are apprehended, and the French authorities maintain that intervention becomes unsafe the moment a migrant enters the water.
Jean-Luc Dubaele, the mayor of Wimereux, expressed his discontent with Britain in the wake of the five fatalities, alleging that migrants crossed the border because they perceived the United Kingdom as an “El Dorado” where they would receive a warm reception.
Thierry Martell, a lifelong region resident, stated, “We are sad, not furious. It is inappropriate for young families to undertake such perilous journeys to reach England.”
