8 migrants die as overcrowded vessel capsizes during Channel crossing attempt

Sept. 15, 2024, 11:46 p.m.

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Eight migrants lost their lives on Sunday when their overcrowded vessel capsized while attempting to cross the Channel from France to England, French authorities reported, less than two weeks after the deadliest such incident this year.

This latest tragedy brings the total number of migrants who have perished while attempting to reach British shores this year to 46, a regional official reported, a significant increase from the 12 fatalities recorded in 2023.

The French and British authorities have been attempting for several years to halt the influx of migrants, who pay smugglers substantial sums, often thousands of euros per person, for passage on overloaded rubber dinghies.

Regional prefect Jacques Billant reported that the incident occurred around 1:00 am (2300 GMT on Saturday) off the coast of the northern town of Ambleteuse.

“The toll was terrible, with eight people reported dead,” he told the press near the site of the accident.

He said they seemed all to be men.

Six individuals were admitted to the hospital, including a 10-month-old infant suffering from hypothermia, he stated.

The vessel had departed from the Slack River, which flows into the sea between the towns of Wimereux and Ambleteuse.

Billant mentioned that the boat carried 59 passengers from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iran.

“Only one out of six had a life jacket,” he said.

The dinghy “quickly got into difficulty and ran aground”, he said. “The boat was torn apart on the rocks.”

‘Children, tiny babies’

Christel Leclair, a volunteer at a local charitable organization, mentioned that a second boat left at around 7:30 am despite the tragic incident.

Departures “happen the whole time – winter, day, night, summer… as soon as the sea is calm”, she said.

“The boats are more and more overcrowded. They don’t have life jackets, just sometimes the inner tube of a tyre,” she added.

Advertisement “There are children, pregnant women and tiny babies. We’re sad and deflated.”

The Auberge des Migrants (Migrant shelter) charity on X called on the French and British states to “immediately rethink their migration policy”.

Billant reported that French authorities had disrupted 20 human trafficking rings this year, apprehending 77 individuals, 59 of whom were referred to the judicial system.

However, Charlotte Kwantes, affiliated with the Utopia 56 charity, which provides assistance to migrants, stated that departures will persist.

Without enough legal options for migrants wishing to reach the United Kingdom, “people are continuing and will continue to take the same risks, whatever the quantity of patrols and means deployed at the border”, she said.

Advertisement ‘Saw them die’

Maritime officials reported on Saturday that numerous attempts to cross the Channel have been made by migrants in recent days, with 200 individuals rescued in a 24-hour period spanning Friday and Saturday alone.

This latest incident follows the tragic capsizing of a boat off the northern coast of France on September 3, resulting in the loss of at least 12 migrants, including six minors, primarily from Eritrea.

Over 22,000 individuals seeking asylum have reached England by traversing the English Channel since the start of the current year, based on figures from British authorities.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and France’s President Emmanuel Macron pledged this summer to strengthen “cooperation” in handling the surge in undocumented migrant numbers.

Advertisement On Sunday, Starmer’s office announced the appointment of Martin Hewitt as chief of the new UK Border Security Command, which was set up to bolster the fight against illegal migration, notably by leading joint investigations with other European countries.

Hewitt will accompany Starmer during a trip to Rome on Monday for discussions with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni where tackling illegal migration will be a key focus.

The Channel crossings are often fraught with danger, and in November 2021, 27 migrants perished when their boat capsized in the most severe single disaster to date.

French authorities aim to prevent migrants from entering the water but do not intervene once they are at sea except for rescue operations, citing safety concerns.

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