(Euronews) The number of migrants rescued off the coast of Calais and taken in by the French state tripled in 2021, the country’s Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII) said on Monday.
“The number of people shipwrecked off the coast of Calais and taken to safety was 1,002 in 2021,” compared with 341 in 2020, an increase of 194%, OFII told AFP.
At least 28,395 people reached the English coast in small boats after illegally crossing the Channel in 2021, according to a tally by the PA news agency based on figures from Britain’s Home Office.
That was a significant increase on the previous year when more than 8,400 people successfully made the perilous journey.
