At least six Afghans who were trying to reach the United Kingdom by the English Channel died on Saturday August 12 after the sinking of their boat. A total of 59 survivors were rescued according to the French authorities, who announced on Sunday an unconsolidated death toll.
Crossings have increased in recent days. On Saturday alone, 509 migrants who made the crossing to the English coast aboard ten makeshift boats (or small boats) were detected, according to the UK Home Office. They were 756 Thursday, August 10, which is the daily record since the beginning of the year. The authorities’ tally includes only those apprehended upon arrival on British shores.
In 2022, a record year, 45,000 people had attempted the crossing, despite the dangers incurred in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais. The daily maximum number of crossings was reached on August 22, with 1,295 migrants apprehended on board twenty-seven boats. The peaks generally correspond to periods with the best weather conditions for the season, but crossings are attempted all year round, including during the coldest months.
In 2022, five migrants died at sea and four went missing trying to reach the British coast from the northern coast of France. In November 2021, twenty-seven migrants died in the sinking of their boat.
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