London (AFP)
Britain's Interior Minister Priti Patel will discuss "in the coming days" with her French counterpart Christophe Castaner the fight against illegal crossings of the Channel by migrants in small boats, a spokesman for the Home Office.
On Thursday, four small boats carrying a total of 37 migrants from France to England were intercepted by British authorities, according to the Home Office. Saying for the most part Iranians, they were taken to Dover.
"We continue to monitor the situation and are working closely with the French authorities on this issue at all levels, and the Minister of the Interior will discuss the matter with her French counterpart in the coming days," the spokesman said. "Since January, we have sent back to Europe over 65 people illegally arrived in small boats," he detailed.
The crossing of the Channel on small boats is made particularly dangerous by the density of the maritime traffic, the strong currents and the low temperature of the water.
"Crossing the Channel in a small boat is very risky, criminal gangs that practice this method are ruthless and do not care about the loss of life," warned the spokesman.
Three British border police (Border Force) patrol the Channel, according to the Home Office. London and Paris signed a cooperation agreement in January to combat illegal Channel crossings by dismantling smugglers' channels and preventing migrant departures to England.
© 2019 AFP