More than 100 migrants were rescued as they tried to cross the English Channel over Christmas, officials say

French authorities said they rescued 107 migrants trying to cross the English Channel from France to England on Wednesday.

Twelve rescue operations took place along the coast of northern France over Christmas Day, including one boat that had engine trouble, the French maritime prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea said in a statement.

In the morning, 30 passengers were rescued from a boat near Dunkirk, while the others on board continued sailing and were taken into British custody once they reached British waters, maritime authorities said.

Another boat with engine damage was spotted later in the day, also near Dunkirk, and all 51 passengers were rescued.

Later, 26 people were taken off a boat that encountered problems near Calais.

The Channel is “a particularly dangerous area, especially in mid-winter for insecure and overloaded boats,” the statement said.

At least 73 migrants died trying to cross the Channel to Britain this year, according to Pas-de-Calais authorities, making 2024 the deadliest year on record for the crossings.

Tens of thousands more have reached Britain, where the government has vowed to crack down on people smuggling gangs.

In November, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for greater international cooperation against the gangs, which he described as a “global security threat on par with terrorism.”