French police have said that the third deadly incident this year occurred in the English Channel, resulting in the deaths of eight people. The rubber vessel contained an estimated 50 passengers and capsized after leaving the coast of Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern Pas-de-Calais, prompting a response from rescue services shortly after 1 am local time. The ship was reported to have been heading in the direction of Ambleteuse beach, but rescue teams attempting to offer assistance were unable to approach the vessel from the sea. Emergency services provided treatment to the 53 survivors of the accident, confirming eight had died in the incident.
An investigation by the Boulogne-sur-Mer public prosecutor’s office is now underway, with French authorities leading the response and investigation. A UK Government spokesperson confirmed the latest incident, and Foreign Secretary David Lammy said it was “awful” to have another loss of life in the Channel. Lammy went on to talk about the types of rubber dinghies people have been using and the many people who “are of course not able to make it” across the Channel. The UK government’s plan is to work alongside the European partners to tackle the criminal people-smuggling gangs that lead to small boats crossing.
Over the past two days, there has been a spate of crossing attempts across the Channel, coinciding with calmer weather. French maritime authorities, over a period of 24 hours on Friday and Saturday, rescued 200 people who were aboard four separate boats, with one containing 61, another 55, and two others with 48 and 36 people. Authorities monitored 18 attempted crossings. According to the UN’s International Organisation for Migration, including the most recent deaths, 45 people have died in the Channel this year, which is the highest figure recorded since 2021.
The CEO of the Refugee Council, Enver Solomon, said the deaths resulting from these accidents are not “inevitable” and that improved access to safe asylum routes is required. He added that “Enforcement alone is not the solution,” and there must be a comprehensive approach reducing small boat crossings in the future. Amnesty International UK has referred to the latest death incident as “yet another appalling and avoidable tragedy.” The Regional prefect, Jacques Billant, is now holding a news conference in Ambleteuse town
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