French authorities rescue 78 migrants attempting Channel crossing in small boat

The French coastguard has rescued 78 people after the engine of their small boat broke down as they attempted to cross the Channel from Belgium.

The French maritime prefecture said it dispatched a number of vessels on Friday after receiving reports of multiple boats carrying migrants setting off.

A translated statement from the French authority on Saturday morning said: “Following an engine failure of the migrant boat, the (coastguard vessel) rescued 78 people, then disembarked them at the quay in Calais for care by the rescue services on land.”

It added: “Determined to reach the United Kingdom, migrants who make the crossings aboard precarious boats refuse the assistance offered by French means and only accept it when faced with situations of extreme urgency.”

On Thursday, 25 people were rescued having set off in small boats from France and Belgium.

So far this year, some 3,863 people have arrived in the UK via small boat, according to official figures, including 144 people in two boats on Thursday.

Urging others not to cross, a French coastguard spokesperson said: “This maritime sector is one of the busiest areas in the world and weather conditions are often difficult.

“It is therefore a particularly dangerous area, even when the sea seems fine.”

It comes as the Home Office confirmed the head of the UK’s Border Security Command will step down at the end of March as small boats continue to cross the Channel.

Martin Hewitt is leaving the post of border security commander after 18 months in the job.

His tenure saw the second-highest annual total of people crossing the Channel, with 41,472 people arriving in the UK by small boat last year.