Nearly 160 migrants rescued after boat catches fire during Channel crossing

French and British vessels rescued 157 migrants after their boat caught fire while attempting to cross the English Channel on Tuesday, according to authorities in both countries. This marks one of the largest rescue operations since records began in 2018. The incident occurred early Tuesday morning near the boundary between French and British waters, and no casualties were reported. The migrants had departed from the coastal village of Veules-les-Roses in Normandy on Monday.

A French prefect's office stated that a small boat experienced a fire, prompting its occupants to jump into the water. British coastguard spokespersons confirmed that UK vessels and a lifeboat were deployed following the fire. The Royal National Lifeboat Institute reported that a lifeboat was launched at 6:00am in response to the incident.

Recent observations by French maritime authorities suggest that migrants are boarding larger dinghies than usual, measuring 12 meters in length compared to the typical 8 or 10 meters. The average number of migrants on these small boats has increased from 26 in 2021 to 65 since the beginning of the year. France has long been a departure point for migrants seeking to cross the Channel to reach the United Kingdom, often paying smugglers large sums of money to board overcrowded rubber dinghies for the perilous voyage.

Last year, over 41,000 migrants landed on England's southern coast, which was the second-highest annual number since 2018. As of the current year, 14 people have lost their lives attempting to cross the Channel, according to an AFP tally using official French and British sources. At least 29 migrants died in the Channel during the previous year, as per a similar AFP count.