Eight dead in attempt to cross Channel – DW – 15-09-2024

French maritime authorities said on Sunday that eight men trying to cross the Channel from France to Britain died after the ship they were travelling on got into distress.

According to Jacques Billant, prefect of the Pas-de-Calais region, the number of fatalities among people trying to cross the Channel from France this year brings the total to 46.

Twelve people died earlier this month when their boat capsized in the dangerous waterway.

What do we know about the disaster?

According to Billant, rescuers had been alerted that a boat carrying 59 passengers was in trouble off the coast of Ambleteuse in the Pas-de-Calais region.

“Around 1am a new tragedy occurred and we regret the death of eight people,” he told a news conference.

“(The ship) quickly got into trouble and ran aground… The boat was torn apart on the rocks,” he said

He said the remaining 51 people on the ship were now being treated by rescue and medical teams.

The survivors came from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Egypt, Iran and Afghanistan, he added.

Six people were taken to hospital “in relative haste,” including a 10-month-old baby with hypothermia, Billant said.

Ongoing problem

The Channel is particularly dangerous because of the strong currents that prevail there, putting small boats at great risk.

Despite this, many people fleeing war or poverty in their home countries are willing to risk their lives by attempting the crossing.

On September 14 alone, eight attempts were made to cross the Channel from France, with Billant claiming that some 200 people were rescued.

More than 22,000 migrants have arrived in England by crossing the Channel since the start of this year, British officials say.

The newly elected Labour government has promised to crack down on criminal gangs offering such crossings to would-be migrants. The previous Conservative government had made “Stop the boats” one of its main slogans.

However, migration experts say the efforts will not stop as long as millions of people continue to live in unbearable conditions due to conflict or a lack of adequate food and water.

Many are calling for legal and safe alternatives to be provided for people wishing to emigrate to Britain as a partial solution to the problem.

tj/rc (AFP, AP)