A total of 119 people were taken to safety during multiple rescue operations
The “taxi boat” was spotted travelling east along the coast towards Wimereux to pick up people during the early hours of Sunday morning.
The boat later broke down during its crossing attempt, and the 106 migrants on board had to be moved onto a rescue ship before being taken to Calais.
Several people got into difficulty while trying to climb into the boat, including a woman who lost consciousness and had to be evacuated by helicopter, according to the French coastguard.
A French Coast Guard spokesperson said: “This maritime area is one of the busiest in the world, and weather conditions are often harsh (strong winds and currents, numerous sandbanks, and water temperatures that reduce life expectancy to just a few minutes in winter).
“It is therefore a particularly dangerous area, even when the sea looks calm.”
According to regional maritime officials, a total of 119 people were taken to safety during three separate rescue operations carried out along France’s northern coastline on Saturday.
The incidents highlight the continued risks faced by migrants who attempt the crossing in small boats.
The latest rescue comes after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood signed a three-year agreement with France on Thursday to pay £662 million to support beach patrols as part of efforts to drive down the number of arrivals.
The Home Office said the arrangement would see officers “targeting and detaining” migrants on the French coast with the aim of removing hundreds of small boat migrants from beaches every year to stop them entering the water.
It means the UK will hand over £501 million to cover five police units and enforcement activity on French beaches – with an extra £160 million only paid if new tactics to curb Channel crossings succeed.
If efforts fail, the additional funding will stop after a year, the Home Office said.
But ministers have stopped short of setting specific targets to measure the success of the deal.
So far this year, more than 6,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after making the journey, down 36 per cent on the number this time last year, Government figures show.
More than 70,000 have arrived since Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister.
On Saturday, a group of more than a dozen people, including women and children, were pictured being brought into the Border Security Command compound in Dover after being collected in the Channel.