Latest news with #Minck
Sky News
10-07-2025
- General
- Sky News
This flimsy dinghy most likely took 50 people to Britain today
We see the boat from a distance - the orange of the life jackets reflected in the rising sun. And as we draw closer, we can make out dozens of people crowded on board as it sets off from the shore, from a beach near Dunkirk. There is no sign of any police activity on the shore, and there are no police vessels in the water. Instead, the migrants crammed into an inflatable dinghy are being watched by us, on board a private boat, and the looming figure of the Minck, a French search and rescue ship that soon arrives. The dinghy meanders. It's not heading towards Britain but rather hugging the coast. A few of the passengers wave at us cheerfully, but then the boat starts to head back towards the shore. As it nears a different beach, we see a police vehicle - a dune buggy - heading down to meet it. Normal practice is for French police officers to slice through the material of any of these small boats that end up back on shore. Two police officers get out of the buggy and wait. A police helicopter arrives and circles above, performing a tight circle over the heads of the migrants. The police think they might be about to go back on to the beach; in fact, these passengers know that most of them are staying put. The boat stops a short distance from the shore and four people jump out. As they wade towards the beach, the boat turns and starts to head back out to sea. We see the two police officers approach these four men and have a brief conversation. They don't appear to check the bags they are carrying and, if they do question them about why they left the boat, it is the most cursory of conversations. In reality, these people probably don't speak French but they were almost certainly involved in arranging this crossing, which is against the law. But all four walk away, disappearing into the dunes at the back of the beach. 2:56 We follow the boat as it chugs off in the direction of Britain, carrying around 50 people. The Minck returns to shadowing its progress, but its job is limited to offering help if the boat gets into trouble. Otherwise, if the engine keeps working, then this flimsy vessel will reach British waters in a few hours' time.
Sky News
10-07-2025
- General
- Sky News
This flimsy vessel carrying migrants could be hours away from reaching British waters
We see the boat from a distance - the orange of the life jackets reflected in the rising sun. And as we draw closer, we can make out dozens of people crowded on board as it sets off from the shore, from a beach near Dunkirk. There is no sign of any police activity on the shore, and there are no police vessels in the water. Instead, the migrants crammed into an inflatable dinghy are being watched by us, on board a private boat, and the looming figure of the Minck, a French search and rescue ship that soon arrives. The dinghy meanders. It's not heading towards Britain but rather hugging the coast. A few of the passengers wave at us cheerfully, but then the boat starts to head back towards the shore. As it nears a different beach, we see a police vehicle - a dune buggy - heading down to meet it. Normal practice is for French police officers to slice through the material of any of these small boats that end up back on shore. Two police officers get out of the buggy and wait. A police helicopter arrives and circles above, performing a tight circle over the heads of the migrants. The police think they might be about to go back on to the beach; in fact, these passengers know that most of them are staying put. The boat stops a short distance from the shore and four people jump out. As they wade towards the beach, the boat turns and starts to head back out to sea. We see the two police officers approach these four men and have a brief conversation. They don't appear to check the bags they are carrying and, if they do question them about why they left the boat, it is the most cursory of conversations. In reality, these people probably don't speak French but they were almost certainly involved in arranging this crossing, which is against the law. But all four walk away, disappearing into the dunes at the back of the beach. 2:56 We follow the boat as it chugs off in the direction of Britain, carrying around 50 people. The Minck returns to shadowing its progress, but its job is limited to offering help if the boat gets into trouble. Otherwise, if the engine keeps working, then this flimsy vessel will reach British waters in a few hours' time.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
This flimsy vessel carrying migrants could reach British waters in a few hours' time
We see the boat from a distance - the orange of the life jackets reflected in the rising sun. And as we draw closer, we can make out dozens of people crowded on board as it sets off from the shore, from a beach near Dunkirk. There is no sign of any police activity on the shore, and there are no police vessels in the water. Instead, the migrants crammed into an inflatable dinghy are being watched by us, on board a private boat, and the looming figure of the Minck, a French search and rescue ship that soon arrives. The dinghy meanders. It's not heading towards Britain but rather hugging the coast. A few of the passengers wave at us cheerfully, but then the boat starts to head back towards the shore. As it nears a different beach, we see a police vehicle - a dune buggy - heading down to meet it. Normal practice is for French police officers to slice through the material of any of these small boats that end up back on shore. Two police officers get out of the buggy and wait. A police helicopter arrives and circles above, performing a tight circle over the heads of the migrants. The police think they might be about to go back on to the beach; in fact, these passengers know that most of them are staying put. The boat stops a short distance from the shore and four people jump out. As they wade towards the beach, the boat turns and starts to head back out to sea. We see the two police officers approach these four men and have a brief conversation. They don't appear to check the bags they are carrying and, if they do question them about why they left the boat, it is the most cursory of conversations. In reality, these people probably don't speak French but they were almost certainly involved in arranging this crossing, which is against the law. But all four walk away, disappearing into the dunes at the back of the beach. Read more: We follow the boat as it chugs off in the direction of Britain, carrying around 50 people. The Minck returns to shadowing its progress, but its job is limited to offering help if the boat gets into trouble. Otherwise, if the engine keeps working, then this flimsy vessel will reach British waters in a few hours' time.
Sky News
10-07-2025
- General
- Sky News
This flimsy vessel carrying migrants could reach British waters in a few hours' time
We see the boat from a distance - the orange of the life jackets reflected in the rising sun. And as we draw closer, we can make out dozens of people crowded on board as it sets off from the shore, from a beach near Dunkirk. There is no sign of any police activity on the shore, and there are no police vessels in the water. Instead, the migrants crammed into an inflatable dinghy are being watched by us, on board a private boat, and the looming figure of the Minck, a French search and rescue ship that soon arrives. The dinghy meanders. It's not heading towards Britain but rather hugging the coast. A few of the passengers wave at us cheerfully, but then the boat starts to head back towards the shore. As it nears a different beach, we see a police vehicle - a dune buggy - heading down to meet it. Normal practice is for French police officers to slice through the material of any of these small boats that end up back on shore. Two police officers get out of the buggy and wait. A police helicopter arrives and circles above, performing a tight circle over the heads of the migrants. The police think they might be about to go back on to the beach; in fact, these passengers know that most of them are staying put. The boat stops a short distance from the shore and four people jump out. As they wade towards the beach, the boat turns and starts to head back out to sea. We see the two police officers approach these four men and have a brief conversation. They don't appear to check the bags they are carrying and, if they do question them about why they left the boat, it is the most cursory of conversations. In reality, these people probably don't speak French but they were almost certainly involved in arranging this crossing, which is against the law. But all four walk away, disappearing into the dunes at the back of the beach. 2:56 We follow the boat as it chugs off in the direction of Britain, carrying around 50 people. The Minck returns to shadowing its progress, but its job is limited to offering help if the boat gets into trouble. Otherwise, if the engine keeps working, then this flimsy vessel will reach British waters in a few hours' time.
LeMonde
08-07-2025
- LeMonde
Channel crossings by migrants in small boats are on the rise
The sea was calm and smooth. In the distance, a black spot. Soon, dawn revealed an inflatable dinghy barely 10 meters long. At least 30 men were seated on either side, straddling the tubes. They stretched out their legs to avoid touching the water. Some wore life jackets; others did not. In the Dover Strait on Tuesday, July 1, 440 migrants would cross to the United Kingdom aboard eight small boats. The one mentioned earlier looked full. Yet it moved along the coast, drawing closer to the beach at Malo-les-Bains, in northern France. Guests at the Radisson were still asleep when, in front of the luxury hotel, a group of women, men and children waded waist-deep into the sea. Not everyone would manage to board. As police officers approached, the dinghy departed. Slower, heavier. The vessel sank a bit deeper into the water. Some cries symbolized the tension on board, the fear. At a speed of about 4 knots (7.4 kilometers per hour), the small boat headed for Dover, over 60 kilometers away, on the other side of the strait. A ship monitored the dinghy's hesitant journey from a distance. This was the Minck, one of the boats chartered by the French government for operations in the Channel. If the migrants did not request assistance, the Minck would simply "escort" them to British waters, where UK authorities would take over.
