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In order to reach England at any cost, the migrants did not hesitate to buy kayaks. The sign Decathlon has decided not to sell any more, for the moment, in four stores on the Opal Coast (Pas-de-Calais and North).
In shops Decathlon of the Opa Coastthe, Wednesday November 17, impossible to buy an inflatable kayak. The shelves have all been emptied, to the great damn of a group of Eritreans who wanted to cross the Channel. “The risks they take are considerable. We are committed to never putting our customers at risk “, explains the sign in a press release. A kayak to reach the Angletwanders? The trip is perilous, but some migrants try it, because they cannot afford the 2,000 euros needed to cross the Channel on board one of the smugglers’ boats.
For Alain Ledaguenel, president of the Dunkirk sea rescuers station, the sports brand’s decision could avoid some drama. “Inflatable kayaks are not equipped and do not give a radar image, which greatly complicates our research.“To withdraw these boats from the sale would be a symbolic measure, but ineffective, according to associations. “This is not the way to take the humanitarian crisis unfolding here”, pleads Pierre Roques, coordinator of the Auberge des migrants. According to the maritime prefecture, 30,000 migrants have tried to cross the Channel since the start of the year, three times more than last year.