Dutch authorities rescue 38 people adrift in rubber boat | Migration News
Authorities Rescue 38 Migrants from Adrift Boat off Dutch Coast
By [Author Name]
Published Oct. 31, 2026
Authorities in the Netherlands rescued 38 individuals from a rubber boat found drifting off the southwestern coast of Zeeland, marking one of the country’s first interceptions of this nature.
Military police spokesperson Doron Wallin reported that among those aboard, two are suspected smugglers, with the remaining individuals identified as migrants. Wallin stated, “We don’t know where they came from – France, the Netherlands, or Belgium – and we don’t know where the boat was heading.”
The boat was located with no motor, and the passengers were not wearing life vests. All 38 individuals were men, including 36 from Afghanistan and two suspected smugglers from Sudan. The latter have since been arrested on accusations of people smuggling.
While small boat crossings from France to the United Kingdom have become increasingly common, encounters of this kind in Dutch waters are rare. “These are things you usually see in France and Belgium. We rarely see it here in the Netherlands before today,” Wallin added.
An investigation into the incident is set to begin on Sunday.
