A tragic incident unfolded on Sunday morning as a migrant boat sank during an attempt to cross the English Channel, resulting in the death of an Indian national believed to be in his 40s. French officials confirmed that the man suffered a cardiac arrest and could not be revived by emergency services.
The boat, which had overloaded passengers, deflated shortly after departing from Tardinghen, near Calais, at around 5:30 AM local time (4:30 AM GMT). Passengers reportedly swam back to shore as the vessel sank.
This incident marks the third deadly sinking in just ten days and contributes to what has become the deadliest year on record for Channel crossings. Just last Wednesday, three individuals lost their lives when another small boat carrying dozens of migrants sank. A rescue operation was able to save 45 people from the waters off the French coast.
In a harrowing earlier event, a four-month-old baby died when another overloaded migrant boat went down on October 18, with rescuers managing to save 65 others.
Since Thursday, more than 100 individuals have been rescued from distress at sea, according to the French coastguard. On Sunday morning, authorities also halted several attempts to cross the Channel in locations such as Equihen-Plage, Calais, and Sangatte, citing an increase in attempted crossings recently due to favorable weather conditions.
New data from the UK government indicates that the total number of migrants arriving by small boats in 2024 has exceeded last year’s total. As of last Friday, 29,578 arrivals were recorded this year, compared to a total of 29,437 for all of 2023. This is still below the record high of 45,774 in 2022.
In an effort to combat the ongoing crisis, the Home Office has vowed to “stop at nothing” to dismantle the smuggling networks facilitating these dangerous crossings. A spokesperson noted, “Our new border security command will strengthen our global partnerships and enhance our efforts to investigate, arrest, and prosecute these evil criminals.”
Additionally, a recent undercover investigation by the BBC has revealed a group of people-smugglers operating in Germany, offering a Channel crossing “package” for €15,000 (£12,500). This package allegedly included an inflatable dinghy with an outboard motor and 60 life jackets, with smugglers claiming to hide the boats in secret warehouses to avoid detection by German authorities.
