Migrant in flippers fished out of the Channel
Man found three miles from Calais as another 38 people attempt to reach England in small boats
A MIGRANT was rescued yesterday morning after trying to swim across the Channel wearing flippers to get to the UK.
The unidentified man was discovered three miles off the coast of Calais with fins and using a buoy as a float. He was spotted by the crew of a fishing boat at 6.30am who alerted French authorities. French border officials rescued the migrant, who was suffering from hypothermia. He was then handed over to Calais border officials.
A statement by the Prefecture Maritime, based in Calais, who released an image of the rescue, said authorities were notified that a fishing vessel “was in contact with a migrant equipped with fins and a buoy who tried to swim to England”.
They added: “In mild hypothermia, the migrant was taken care of by the UAS and border police at the port of Calais.”
The incident comes as Border Force officers in the UK yesterday dealt with two more migrant crossings of up to 38 people. It is understood three groups were discovered off the East Sussex and Kent coast in three small boats. They were picked up by Border Force officers and taken to Dover in Kent.
A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman said: “HM Coastguard is committed to safeguarding life around the seas and coastal areas of this country. We are only concerned with preservation of life, rescuing those in trouble and bringing them safely back to shore, where they will be handed over to the relevant partner emergency services or authorities.
“We have been assisting Border Force with two incidents off the Kent coast this morning.” More than 150 people have arrived in the UK since the end of May, with the number of suspected migrants intercepted by Border Force authorities in 2019 rising steeply to 511, according to The Daily Telegraph’s research, with dozens more stopped by French officials.
Last year, some 312 people reached the UK in small boats with 227 more stopped by the French.
Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, has been accused of not getting a grip on the situation as more people crossed the Channel in small boats in May (140) than in December (138) when a “major incident” was declared.
On May 31, a record number of boats and people tried to enter the UK illegally, as some 74 people were intercepted in eight separate vessels.
A Home Office spokesman said: “Anyone crossing the Channel in a small boat is taking a huge risk with their life and the lives of their children.
“Last week, the Home Secretary and the French interior minister, Christophe Castaner, agreed to continue to explore options to reinforce the efforts already being made.
“It is an established principle that those in need of protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach and since January more than 35 people who arrived illegally in the UK in small boats have been returned to Europe.”