STORY: :: French police attempt to prevent migrants from crossing the Channel to the UK
:: September 4, 2024
:: Wimereux, France
French police and coastguards were present on and off Wimereux beach on Wednesday trying to prevent the migrants from leaving the shore. A handful of people managed to board the dinghy, while others had to turn back and leave the beach.
It remained unclear whether the heavily loaded dinghy reached the open sea.
Tackling illegal migration has been a priority for both the British and French governments. More than 2,000 people have arrived in Britain on small boats over the past seven days, according to UK government figures.
The Channel is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and currents are strong, which makes crossing on small boats dangerous.
