A two-year-old boy and three adults perished overnight when two overcrowded migrant boats encountered difficulties during the perilous Channel crossing from France to England, according to French officials on Saturday.
This latest tragedy brings the total number of migrants who have died attempting to reach England from France this year to 51, as stated by Jacques Billant, France's prefect for Pas-de-Calais.
In one incident, a child was discovered unresponsive in an overloaded dinghy after migrants issued a distress call on Saturday morning. The boat, carrying nearly 90 people, had suffered engine failure off the coast of Boulogne-sur-Mer, northern France. The boy could not be saved, a regional prefect informed reporters.
Boulogne-sur-Mer prosecutor Guirec Le Bras revealed that the child, born in Germany to a Somali mother, had been crushed to death. Fourteen other migrants were rescued by French officials, including a 17-year-old teenager who was hospitalized with burns to his legs, officials said. The remaining passengers continued their journey. While French officials attempt to prevent migrants from launching their boats, for safety reasons, they do not intervene once the boats are at sea except for rescue operations.
In the second incident, another boat overloaded with migrants experienced engine failure off the coast of Calais. In the ensuing panic, several people fell overboard and had to be rescued. However, rescue teams found the bodies of two men and a woman, all around 30 years old, at the bottom of the boat, according to Pas-de-Calais prefect Jacques Billant. The three were likely crushed, suffocated, and drowned in the water at the bottom of the boat, he added. One of the adult victims was Vietnamese, and the other two were of African origin, according to prosecutors.
French Prime Minister Michel Barnier emphasized the need to combat the trafficking networks that exploit human suffering. French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau also condemned the smugglers, stating that the government will intensify its fight against these gangs who profit from organizing these deadly crossings. Britain's Interior Minister Yvette Cooper echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the appalling loss of life, including that of a young child, due to criminal smuggler gangs.
Billant noted that the inflatable boats used by migrants were of poor quality and lacked sufficient life jackets. Traffickers did not hesitate to separate young children from their parents, he added. Channel crossings by undocumented asylum seekers to Britain have surged since 2018 despite repeated warnings about the perilous journey. The Channel is characterized by heavy maritime traffic, icy waters, and strong currents. The French and British governments have attempted to curb the flow of undocumented migrants, who may pay smugglers thousands of euros per head for the passage to England from France aboard small boats.
Channel crossings have accelerated since Thursday due to favorable weather conditions. Since Thursday evening, police have prevented 31 attempted crossings, and 237 migrants have been rescued at sea, according to French authorities. In comments broadcast on Saturday, President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged the challenge of combating human traffickers and illegal immigration networks. However, he added that immigration itself was not necessarily a negative phenomenon.
The Utopia 56 charity, which assists migrants, called for a change in approach by authorities. To end these tragedies, the state's action must shift to a humanitarian rescue operation at sea, accompanied by a policy of reception in France and safe passage to England, the group stated.
