At least eight migrants have died in the Ambleteuse area while trying to cross the English Channel in small boats to the United Kingdom, public broadcaster Radio France reported on Sunday. French authorities had reported “several migrants” dead, without giving details of the number. According to public radio, one person is in a very serious condition and there are five other minor injuries.
This is the second such shipwreck this month, after the 12 deaths recorded on the 3rd in similar circumstances. At least 45 people have already died this year trying to cross from France to the United Kingdom. In a statement, the Maritime Prefecture of La Mancha and the North explained that, in total, 200 people have been rescued from different shipwrecks in an area that was on alert due to strong sea currents.
Jacques Billant, prefect of the Pas-de-Calais region, said rescue teams had been alerted that a boat with 59 people on board was in the waters off Ambleteuse. “A new tragedy occurred at around 1am and we are saddened by the death of eight people,” he told a news conference, adding that the other 51 people on board were being treated by medical and rescue teams. The dead came from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Egypt, Iran and Afghanistan.
The English Channel is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world and the currents are strong, making crossings in small boats dangerous. On 14 September alone, there were eight attempts to cross the Channel from France.
During 2024, British authorities estimate that at least 22,000 migrants and asylum seekers have arrived on the UK shores from northern France, usually embarking from areas near the cities of Calais and Dunkirk.
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