On Sunday, a migrant perished aboard an overcrowded boat attempting to traverse the Channel from France to Britain. Authorities reported that numerous individuals on the cramped vessel declined rescue efforts and persisted with their perilous voyage. This incident marks the seventh migrant fatality in the Channel since July 12. The French maritime prefecture (PREMAR) highlighted a "new phenomenon" where potential migrants are succumbing to the crushing conditions within the boats, rather than drowning. In a statement, the authority disclosed that 75 individuals were aboard the small boat, initially spotted off the port of Calais early Sunday morning. Coast guard and maritime gendarmerie vessels were dispatched to investigate, and some passengers were heard calling for aid around dawn. Rescuers managed to extract 35 people, including one who appeared lifeless and was airlifted to a hospital in Boulogne-sur-Mer. The migrant was pronounced dead upon arrival, though the gender was not specified. Despite the tragedy, others on the boat opted to continue their journey, prompting the maritime authority to refrain from forced intervention due to the risks of falling overboard or sustaining injuries. The statement also noted a "new phenomenon of people dying at sea not by drowning but by illness or in a crush." Four men, an Eritrean woman, and another man have already died in similar circumstances this year. French officials confirmed 86 people were on the boat during the July 19 incident, with five falling into the sea, including one fatality. As of 2024, the death toll in the Channel has risen to 23, surpassing the 12 recorded in 2023. Flore Judet of the Auberge des Migrants charity attributed the situation to the lack of "safe passage" for asylum seekers and the use of "repression" along the French coast. Claire Millot of the Salam NGO expressed concern over the alarming number of migrants packed onto boats, advocating for providing them with the opportunity to stay and work. Following the Labour party's victory in the British general election, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron committed to enhancing "cooperation" in managing the influx of undocumented migrants. Starmer has scrapped the previous government's plan to send irregular migrants to a holding camp in Rwanda, instead pledging to intensify law enforcement against the criminal networks orchestrating the crossings and expedite the processing of arriving migrants.
Text: Lara Palmer
28.07.2024
Dozens Refuse Rescue, Persist in Hazardous Channel Crossing as Death Toll Rises