The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) will deploy patrol vessels to the English Channel and the North Sea to support search and rescue operations amid the ongoing migration crisis.
Sea-news.az reports this, citing French authorities via Reuters.
According to the information, Frontex will send two patrol cutters from Spain to the region during September and October. Afterward, another patrol cutter from Lithuania will join the operation until January.
It is reported that the patrol vessels will operate in coordination with French forces, participating in search and rescue and patrol services in the area.
The English Channel is noted as one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Migrants attempt to cross from France to Britain in small and frequently overcrowded boats provided by human traffickers.
Strong sea currents and complex navigational conditions make such journeys extremely hazardous. Such attempts have repeatedly resulted in fatalities.
In August, the French coast guard rescued 157 people from a burning migrant boat in the Channel.
Frontex’s decision to deploy additional forces to the region was made just days after the leaders of France and Britain met to discuss measures to prevent irregular migration via the English Channel.
