On Tuesday, September 3rd, a boat carrying over sixty immigrants sank while attempting to cross the English Channel, resulting in at least 12 deaths and two people missing.
French authorities reported that the boat sank near the “Cap Gris-Nez” cape in northern France. This coastline is located near Calais, approximately 30 kilometers away from England.
According to a report by The Independent, French officials stated that the bottom of the boat cracked, causing everyone on board to sink into the water. French authorities then dispatched helicopters and ships to conduct a large-scale rescue operation, pulling 61 people from the water and setting up a first aid station to treat the survivors.
The mayor of Boulogne-sur-Mer, a coastal city near the incident site, Frederick Cuvillier, mentioned that there were nearly 70 people on board the boat, but the exact numbers were still unclear.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin confirmed that 12 people have died, and two are missing. He is scheduled to visit the scene on Tuesday afternoon.
British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed fear and sorrow over the incident. She praised the French Coast Guard and emergency service personnel for their efforts in saving many lives but lamented that not everyone could be rescued.
She criticized criminal gangs involved in human trafficking, stating that these groups are cramming more and more people onto increasingly unseaworthy boats and even sending them across the perilous waters of the English Channel in harsh weather conditions.
In recent years, there has been a surge in migrants crossing the English Channel in overcrowded small boats, with many hoping to reach the UK to seek asylum.
Official UK data revealed that over 2,100 people arrived in the UK by boat in the past seven days, bringing the total number of illegal immigrant crossings to 21,403 so far this year.
Data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) shows that prior to this recent tragedy, at least 31 people have died or gone missing while attempting to cross the English Channel this year, compared to only 12 deaths for the entire year of 2023.
The English Channel is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, known for strong currents, making the journey on small boats extremely dangerous.
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to enhance cooperation between their countries to dismantle migrant smuggling routes.