Getty Images
An overloaded dinghy carries migrants across the Channel (archive photo)
A man has died after a migrant boat capsized while trying to cross the English Channel on Sunday morning.
French authorities say the man – an Indian national aged in his 40s – suffered cardiac arrest and could not be resuscitated by emergency services.
The boat deflated shortly after leaving the coast at Tardinghen, near Calais, at 5:30 a.m. local time (04:30 GMT), and those on board swam back to shore, French authorities said.
It is the third deadly shipwreck in the past ten days, in what is already the deadliest year on record for Channel crossings.
On Wednesday, three people died after a small boat bound for the United Kingdom carrying dozens of migrants sank in the English Channel. A rescue operation recovered 45 people off the French coast.
Previously, a four-month-old baby died when an overloaded migrant boat sank on the evening of October 18. Rescuers saved 65 others.
More than 100 people have been rescued from migrant boats in distress since Thursday, according to the French coast guard.
Several attempts to cross the Channel were stopped by police and gendarmes on Sunday morning – notably at Equihen-Plage, Calais and Sangatte – according to the French authorities.
Authorities say crossing attempts have increased in recent days due to favorable weather conditions.
New UK government figures show the number of migrants arriving on small boats this year has already exceeded the 2023 total.
As of Friday, there had been 29,578 in 2024, compared to 29,437 for all of 2023. Last year's total was below the record 45,774 arrivals in 2022.
The Interior Ministry has pledged to “stop at nothing” to dismantle smuggler gangs who organize crossings in small boats.
A spokesperson said: “Our new Border Security Command will strengthen our global partnerships and strengthen our efforts to investigate, arrest and prosecute these evil criminals. »
An undercover BBC investigation published on Friday revealed that a group of people smugglers in Germany were offering a “package” crossing the Channel for €15,000 (£12,500).
The package included an inflatable boat with an outboard motor and 60 life jackets. The smugglers said they stored the boats in several secret warehouses to hide them from German police.
Figures produced by the UN show that this year has already been the deadliest for migrant crossings in the Channel.
The latest shipwreck means at least 57 people have died attempting the journey in 2024.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the charity Refugee Council, said it was “vital” the government did “all it can” to ensure refugees no longer have to put their lives at risk.
He added: “We must not forget that those undertaking the perilous journey across the Channel are desperate men, women and children fleeing persecution and war, in countries like Afghanistan and Sudan, simply seeking safety and a future without fear. »
