Eight migrants lost their lives last night in a shipwreck while trying to cross the English Channel from France to England. The ship sank in an overloaded clandestine boat that had just set sail from the French coast: on board there were about 59 people, from Eritrea, Sudan, Afghanistan and Egypt. The dinghy on which the migrants were aboard capsized shortly after leaving the coast of Ambleteuse, in the Calais area. French rescuers intervened around 1 am. Some survivors were taken to hospitals in Calais and Boulogne. Among the survivors, there is also a 10-month-old baby, rushed to hospital for suspected hypothermia.
Last night’s tragedy is reminiscent of two weeks ago, when the worst shipwreck of the year occurred. On September 3, 12 people died while trying to cross the English Channel. At least 37 migrants have died in 2024: the highest number since 2018, when migrant crossings of the English Channel began to take place more frequently. For years, the French and British governments have been trying to stop migrants who pay traffickers thousands of euros per person to travel from France to England on small boats. According to British officials, more than 22,000 migrants and refugees have crossed the Channel into England since the beginning of the year.
