French navy watches as overcrowded migrant boat ‘seconds away from sinking’ in Channel

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Skippers describe the “horrific” moment they saw a dangerously overcrowded boat carrying 60 migrants nearly sink in the Channel.

The ship was monitored remotely by the French Navy, which watched as the ship entered British waters.

More than 21,000 migrants have arrived this year, with over 7,000 making the journey since the general election.

Eyewitnesses said this morning that the group, which included freezing three-year-old children, were “clinging to their lives.”

\u200An overcrowded migrant ship (archive image)

An overcrowded migrant ship (file photo)

PA

A skipper who witnessed the crossing told the Daily Mail: “I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was disturbing. They were clinging to their lives. It was horrific. It was seconds from sinking.

“It was seconds away from 60 migrants potentially dying. It would have been the biggest tragedy in the Channel to date.”

The eyewitness also lashed out at the French navy, who he said watched the ship drift into British waters.

He said: “The children were sitting on the ground, huddled in the middle. It was horrible to see. What were the French navy doing? They only looked like three and they were lying on the ground. They looked terrified. Who would do that to a child? And the French navy were in the distance the whole time, clearly observing what was happening.”

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Canal in small boats

Cumulative arrivals of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats

PA

More than 20,000 migrants have arrived in the UK this year after crossing the English Channel, latest figures show. Some 614 people made the journey in 10 boats on Wednesday, bringing the provisional total for 2024 to 20,433.

This is three percent higher than at the same time in 2023 (19,801) and 18 percent lower than in 2022 (25,065).

It is the second highest number of arrivals in a single day since the general election, after 703 arrivals on August 11.

The highest number ever this year was 882, on June 18.

Figures show 211 migrants reached Britain in four boats yesterday, with another 77 being returned to Calais.

A Home Office spokesman said: “We all want to see an end to dangerous small boat crossings, which undermine border security and put lives at risk.

“The new Government is taking steps to improve our border security by establishing a new Border Security Command that will bring together our intelligence and law enforcement agencies, equipped with new counter-terrorism powers and hundreds of staff based in the UK and abroad to help defeat criminal smuggling gangs that are making millions in profits.”

The summer revival came after the prime minister pledged to deepen cooperation with France during a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

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