A dinghy carrying migrants broke down in the English Channel, forcing French crews to rescue 106 people, officials said. Passengers were transferred to a rescue vessel and taken to Calais; one woman was airlifted after losing consciousness. The incident follows recent deadly crossings and comes days after Britain and France agreed to step up beach patrols and enforcement.

What happened at sea French maritime officials said a dinghy carrying migrants ran into trouble while attempting a Channel crossing early Sunday, leaving dozens aboard stranded. Authorities and witnesses described the craft as a "taxi boat" used to ferry people to pre-arranged pick-up points along the coast. The boat broke down during the attempt and its passengers were moved onto a rescue ship. The maritime authority said more than 100 people were taken on board the rescue vessel and brought to the port of Calais. Emergency services evacuated a woman by helicopter after she lost consciousness trying to climb into the dinghy, the authority said. One account from the maritime prefecture described an initial rescue of 21 people taken to Calais, followed by a second operation that recovered 47 more from the same craft. Around the same time, crews in the Dunkirk area helped several people attempting to board a similar taxi boat. What a "taxi boat" is and how crossings have worked - Description: Small craft—often with only a driver aboard—travel along the coast to meet migrants who wade out from pre-designated beaches to climb aboard. - Purpose: The method aims to reduce detection risk before the sea leg of the journey by staging pick-ups near shore. - Risks: The Channel is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes; engine or hull failure raises danger quickly because of cold water, strong currents and heavy commercial traffic. Political response and the new UK‑France deal On Thursday, Britain’s Home Secretary signed a three-year agreement with France intended to reduce small-boat crossings. Key elements the UK government outlined include: - £501 million to fund five police units and related enforcement activity on French beaches. - Up to £160 million more to be paid if new tactics to curb crossings are judged successful. Officials in Paris and London have emphasized on-the-ground cooperation in northern France to detect and deter organised people-smuggling networks that arrange crossings. Scale and recent trends British government figures cited by analysts show more than 6,000 people have reached the UK by small boat so far this year, a decline of about 36% compared with the same period last year. Counts since the current UK government took office total more than 70,000 arrivals, according to analysts, underscoring the long-running scale of the issue.

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The episode underscores ongoing pressure on both governments to stop small-boat crossings. The UK has pledged £662 million to support French beach patrols and enforcement — £501 million allocated immediately and a further £160 million conditional on new tactics proving successful.

This article was created with AI assistance.