The French port of Calais plunged into chaos after over 100 migrants stormed a ferry bound for the UK in what police are calling a “coordinated attack.”
A mob of migrants broke through a high-security area, and using dinghies and ladders, managed to charge aboard a DFDS Seaways-owned vessel after its arrival from Dover, with some climbing to the top of the ship’s exhaust funnel and others hiding in the ventilation system, the Daily Mail reports.
The port was temporarily closed, stranding some ships at sea and forcing others to cancel their journeys as authorities embarked on a search-and-rescue mission lasting more than 12 hours.
Emergency response teams reportedly battled difficult weather conditions in an attempt to root out invaders in and around the ship, and were also forced to rescue two who fell overboard.
More than 40 migrants were arrested, with most being released with only a warning, EuroNews reports.
A dozen suspects are slated to appear in court and a 36-year-old man from Mali has been identified as the operation’s “organizer” and sentenced to four months in prison, according to Intelligence Fusion.
“This was a coordinated and simultaneous attack that did not allow the police, who had too few staff, to intervene,” said police union spokesman Gilles Debove.
Officials claim an escalation of migrants attempting to cross the English Channel is due to the looming Brexit deadline, with one source telling the Daily Mail, “this is something we can expect to see more of in the coming weeks.”
UK Border Force apprehended migrants crossing the Channel in boats of their own on four consecutive days last week.
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