Migrants: four dead including a two-year-old child in attempts to cross the Channel

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During the night from Friday to Saturday, four migrants lost their lives during perilous attempts to cross the Channel to England. These tragedies add to the already tragic human toll for the year 2024, with now 51 deaths since January. Among the victims are a two-year-old child, two men, and a woman, all crushed aboard small, overloaded boats.

Deadly crossings in deplorable boats

These new tragedies occur as crossing attempts have increased thanks to more favorable weather conditions. The first boat, carrying nearly 90 people, suffered an engine failure off the coast of Boulogne-sur-Mer. A two-year-old boy, recovered unresponsive, could not be saved, probably crushed according to initial evidence. On a second overloaded boat, three adults were found dead, probably suffocated and drowned in the 40 cm of water at the bottom of their canoe.

The authorities denounced the precariousness of the boats used for these crossings. The boats are often underinflated, poorly motorized, and lack life jackets for all passengers. These conditions increase the risk of fatal accidents. The prefect of Pas-de-Calais underlined the irresponsibility of smugglers, who do not hesitate to separate children from their parents to maximize their profits.

A record human toll in 2024

The year 2024 is already the deadliest in the Channel since the start of crossings in inflatable boats in 2018. Before these latest tragedies, at least 46 migrants had already lost their lives. In September, two shipwrecks left 20 people dead, marking a turning point in the scale of the tragedies linked to these crossings. The death toll now stands at 51 deaths, an alarming figure which calls into question the authorities on both sides of the Channel.

Political and humanitarian reactions

The Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, reacted on X by denouncing the smugglers and promising an intensification of efforts to fight against these “mafias” who organize these deadly crossings. For its part, the Utopia 56 association is calling for a radical change in migration policy, demanding rescue actions at sea and the establishment of legal and secure routes to England.

Solutions to the migration crisis still pending

The British government, under Labor Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has promised to tackle theillegal immigration by increasing expulsions of migrants and strengthening the fight against smuggling networks. However, humanitarian associations believe that measures more focused on the protection of migrants and international cooperation are necessary to prevent these tragedies from repeating themselves.



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