Europe 1 with AFP 9:23 p.m., November 16, 2021
Kayaks that can be used by migrants to cross the Channel have been withdrawn from sale in Decathlon stores in Calais and Grande-Synthe, the sign said on Tuesday. A decision taken "in reaction to the current context," said the press service, noting that these articles "can serve as boats to cross the Channel".
Avoid new dramas.
Kayaks that can be used by migrants to cross the Channel have been withdrawn from sale in Decathlon stores in Calais and Grande-Synthe, the sign said on Tuesday, confirming information from
the Voix du Nord
.
"The purchase of these kayaks will no longer be possible" in the stores of Calais (Pas-de-Calais) and Grande-Synthe, near Dunkirk (Nord), "in reaction to the current context", declared the service of Decathlon press.
These articles are "diverted from their sporting use" and "can serve as boats to cross the Channel" according to the company, which indicates that "it is not the conception which is given to these products, nor their primary utility" .
Always available for sale online
The sign specializing in sports articles justifies this withdrawal by a use that "could endanger the lives of people who use them as part of a crossing." It indicates that the decision was taken "at the store" and "validated by the company". She adds that these kayaks remain available for sale online and in other stores, and specifies that "products that improve safety at sea such as vests, oars or thermal protection will always be available at the sale "in Calais and Grande-Synthe.
Three migrants were reported missing on Friday after attempting to cross the Channel on kayaks to England, amid a new record for Channel crossings on board small boats.
Two kayaks were found adrift off Calais on Thursday, and two castaways rescued by the gendarmerie.