Nearly 400 Migrants Rescued off Northern France Amid Deadly Channel Crossings

French authorities say nearly 400 people attempting to cross the English Channel to Britain were rescued over the weekend, as calm seas encouraged a surge in departures despite ongoing crackdowns. The rescues came during a tragic stretch that also saw several deaths, highlighting the risks of one of the world’s busiest and most dangerous migration routes.

Maritime officials reported that rescue operations were launched at around two dozen departure points along the northern French coast on Saturday and Sunday. On the first day, more than 220 migrants were intercepted near Boulogne-sur-Mer, Dieppe, and Calais. Two Somali women died after suffering cardiac arrest despite resuscitation efforts, while several others were treated for hypothermia and minor injuries.

By Sunday, an additional 176 people were brought to safety. Among them were several who required medical attention, including a teenager who later died after being found unconscious on a beach near Calais. Separately, the body of another migrant was discovered on the sands of Gravelines, though investigators believe the death may have occurred days earlier.

The incidents bring the total number of lives lost in Channel crossing attempts to at least 27 so far this year, according to official figures. At the same time, crossings are reaching record levels. The British government says more than 32,000 people have arrived on its shores since January, including 895 in a single day last week aboard a dozen small boats.

Both London and Paris have pledged to tighten controls, signing a deal that allows Britain to send back migrants deemed ineligible for asylum if they transited through safe third countries, while taking in an equal number of recognized asylum seekers from France. Yet critics argue the arrangement covers only a fraction of those making the dangerous journey, leaving thousands still at risk on the open sea.