106 on taxi boat rescued off France’s coast amid Channel crossings crackdown

French maritime authorities pulled 119 people to safety along France’s northern coastline on Saturday after a so-called taxi boat carrying 106 people broke down at sea and others got into trouble while trying to board it.

One person was airlifted to hospital after losing consciousness, and several others struggled as they attempted to climb into the vessel, which had been spotted travelling east toward Wimereux in the early hours as it appeared to move along the coast to pick people up from the shoreline. The scene underscored how quickly a smuggling run can turn into a mass rescue operation, even as governments on both sides of the Channel promise tighter control.

The rescues came just days after the UK and France agreed a new three-year deal aimed at curbing small-boat crossings. Under the agreement, the UK will provide up to £660 million in funding, part of it tied to results, while France will expand its coastal policing presence and step up patrols and intelligence work on the French side of the Channel.

But the numbers show the gap between political promises and the reality on the water. UK government data show 6,077 people crossed the English Channel in small boats from France between 1 January and 22 April 2026, a fall of 37% on the same period in 2025, yet the crossings continued at pace. In the week ending 19 April 2026 alone, official figures recorded 941 migrants arriving in 14 boats.

The danger has not eased with the tougher language. The route from France remains one of the most perilous migration corridors in Europe, and deaths have continued this year even as patrols, funding and diplomatic pressure have intensified. Saturday’s rescues along the coast near Calais and Wimereux showed how the same stretch of water can still produce the same outcome: overloaded boats, people forced into the sea, and French crews racing to prevent a disaster.