French Authorities Rescue 139 Migrants, 572 Others Arrive on British Shores in Two Days

The French maritime authorities rescued 139 migrants between Friday 18 and Saturday 19 July 2025, while 572 migrants managed to reach the British shores during the same period, as announced by the Maritime Prefecture of the English Channel and the North Sea.

The Maritime Prefecture of the English Channel and the North Sea (Prémar), in a statement, reported that the first rescue operation started on Friday evening after the Maritime Surveillance and Rescue Center "Gris-Nez" received a report of a boat carrying migrants departing from the Équian-Plage area (Pas-de-Calais department). Immediately, the state ship "Minck" and the rescue boat "SNS 4013" were sent to locate the boat. Upon arrival, the ship deployed a small rubber boat to monitor the movements of the boat carrying 58 people. They were all rescued and transported to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, where local authorities provided necessary care for them.

As for the second operation, it took place early on Saturday after a new notification was received, around midnight, about a boat carrying migrants departing from the shores of Gravelines. This time, the French National Navy patrol ship "Cormoran" intervened, which in turn sent a small boat to monitor the situation. The operation resulted in the rescue of 81 people, who were transported to the port of Calais and handed over to the relevant authorities, as indicated in another statement by the Maritime Prefecture of the English Channel and the North Sea.

Despite the efforts of the French authorities, 572 migrants managed to reach British territory during Friday and Saturday, according to the numbers from the British Home Office. The data shows that the total number of arrivals in the United Kingdom via "small boats" during the week of 13 July reached 1,114 migrants, reflecting a high crossing rate during this period of the year.