French fire service rescues migrants from Channel amid strong current warnings

Around 40 migrants gathered on a beach in Berck to attempt boarding a so-called 'taxi boat'

A member of the French fire service uses a buoyancy aid to rescue migrants (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Members of the French fire service have rescued a number of migrants who attempted to cross the Channel off the Pas-de-Calais coast amid warnings of dangerous currents.

Around 40 migrants gathered on a beach in Berck at approximately 9.30am on Monday morning, to attempt boarding a so-called “taxi boat”.

The “taxi boat” people-smuggling tactic, designed to avoid detection by police, involves dinghies travelling along the coast with just a driver to pre-designated beaches where migrants wade into the water to climb on board.

People thought to be migrants, who were previously detained by the French police (Gareth Fuller/PA)

French police and the fire brigade arrived soon after, as well as a voluntary SNSM lifeboat and a number of French navy vessels.

Police officers proceeded to move the group – which included men, women, and children – away from the water and toward the sand dunes using pepper spray.

When the small boat appeared, the group split to run around police officers, back to the beach, and into the water – prompting officers to use their vehicles to try and catch up with them.

A number of migrants made it into the water, but some quickly became submerged and requested assistance from the fire brigade.

They were brought back to shore by fire service officers using flotation devices, but others remained at sea despite the taxi boat leaving without having picked up anyone.

The boat returned and got closer to shore, prompting some migrants to make a second attempt at boarding the vessel – many of whom got shoulders-deep into the sea.

This comes after the Pas-de-Calais prefecture issued a warning for powerful currents in the Channel from Monday to Thursday.

The prefecture said in a statement published last Friday that forecast high tides “make the sea more dangerous, creating a heightened risk of drowning or becoming stranded at sea”.

Images of the scramble on Monday morning showed some migrants struggling with the depth of the sea and the strong currents.

Some were seen clinging onto flotation devices, and others lay down on the beach after getting out of the water – seemingly exhausted following their unsuccessful attempt at boarding the taxi boat.

It is believed around 15 migrants, including children, made it to the boat.