Dutch Coast Guard Rescues 38 People From Drifting Rubber Boat

Dutch authorities rescued 38 people from a rubber boat drifting off the coast of the Netherlands early Saturday, in what The Associated Press described as one of the first such interceptions in the country. Two of those on board were detained on suspicion of people smuggling.

The case drew attention because boats carrying migrants are far more commonly found in other places along the coast. A spokesperson for the military police said such sightings were rare in the Netherlands.

What happened off the Dutch coast?

According to the AP, the military police, known as the Marechaussee, and the Netherlands coast guard rescued the boat early in the morning and towed it to shore. The boat had no motor and was drifting off Zeeland province, near the town of Breskens, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of Amsterdam, spokesperson Doron Wallin said.

Wallin said no one on board was wearing a life vest. The people were brought to dry land and checked for signs of hypothermia, then moved to another location while authorities look into their nationalities and migration status.

Who was on the boat?

Al Jazeera, citing the AFP news agency, reported that all 38 people were men. It said 36 of them were from Afghanistan and two, the suspected smugglers, were from Sudan. The two Sudanese men have been arrested on suspicion of people smuggling, according to that report. Wallin said the rest of those on board were migrants.

Where was the boat headed?

That is still unclear. Wallin told the AP that officials do not know whether the boat set out from France, the Netherlands or Belgium, and they do not know its destination. Al Jazeera noted that small-boat crossings from France to the United Kingdom have become commonplace in recent years, but boats are seldom found in Dutch waters.

AP reported that tens of thousands of migrants have tried in recent years to cross the narrow sea between France and the United Kingdom. Earlier this year, the British and French governments signed a new multimillion-euro deal meant to reduce crossings of the English Channel, with more police patrols and tighter surveillance in northern France.

Why does it matter?

For people living in the region, the rescue shows that small boats carrying migrants can turn up in places where they are rarely seen. Wallin said, “These are things you usually see in France and Belgium.” He added that the Netherlands rarely sees them.

The case also leaves open questions for Dutch authorities, who still need to determine the nationalities and migration status of the people rescued, where the boat started its journey and who organized it.

What happens next?

Al Jazeera reported that Dutch authorities will open an investigation into the case on Sunday. Officials did not disclose further details of the inquiry.

Around Prague, based on reporting by ABC News, Al Jazeera