Eight migrants died on Sunday morning while trying to cross the English Channel from France to England, less than a fortnight after the deadliest disaster of its kind this year, French authorities said.
The incident occurred shortly before midnight on Saturday when authorities spotted a boat with dozens of people on board in distress near a beach in the northern town of Ambletose. The survivors were from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iran.
In a statement from the French maritime authorities in charge of the English Channel and North Sea said a French rescue vessel headed to the area but failed to provide assistance at sea, but when the ship reached shore, rescue services treated 53 migrants.
Despite the emergency care provided, eight people have died, the statement said.
On Saturday, the maritime authorities said migrants had made numerous attempts to cross the Channel in recent days, with 200 people rescued in 24 hours on Friday and Saturday alone. The latest incident comes weeks after at least 12 migrants died off France’s northern coast on 3 September when their boat carrying dozens of people capsized.
British officials were quick to express regret over yet another incident in immigration. London and Paris have been trying for years to stem the flow of migrants, who pay smugglers thousands of euros per person to travel in overloaded inflatable boats.
Since coming to power in July, the Labour government has vowed to take tough action against criminal gangs trafficking migrants by canal boat. In this context, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit Italy on Monday to discuss with counterpart Giorgia Meloni her efforts to tackle the problem. Europe’s increasingly strict asylum rules, growing xenophobia and hostility towards migrants are pushing them north.
