Fifty-one migrants rescued from Channel

More than 50 migrants were rescued aft a vessel got into trouble trying to transverse the English Channel.

The boat’s motor failed disconnected the seashore of Audresselles successful bluish France overnight connected Monday into Tuesday, the French coastguard said.

A rescue vessel took 51 radical to Boulogne-sur-Mer, wherever they were met by exigency services.

Meanwhile, 2 bodies were recovered successful the Channel connected the French broadside connected Tuesday and different adjacent Dover, portion 3 much bodies were recovered connected a formation successful Calais and disconnected the seashore connected Wednesday - it is not known whether they were migrants.

A hunt was launched aft a ferry said it had seen a assemblage adrift disconnected the seashore of Calais.

Two bodies were subsequently recovered by a French patrol vessel and taken to shore.

Local authorities are investigating the deaths.

A 3rd assemblage was pulled from the Channel adjacent Dover connected Tuesday, Kent Police said.

The man's identity, and whether helium was attempting to transverse the Channel, are not yet known, and an probe is nether way.

On Wednesday, a assemblage was recovered connected the formation astatine Calais, according to AFP quality agency.

Local maritime officials besides reported that 2 bodies had been recovered adrift disconnected the city's coast.

It is not known whether immoderate of these individuals were migrants.

Home Office figures amusement 263 radical crossed the Channel successful 4 boats connected Wednesday.

This takes the provisional full for 2024 truthful acold to 31,535.

This is 18% higher than this clip past twelvemonth (26,699) but 21% little than the aforesaid constituent successful 2022 (39,929), a grounds precocious year.

Earlier this month, Sir Keir Starmer announced an other £75m to constabulary the UK's borders successful an effort to trim the fig of tiny vessel crossings.