Eight migrants ultimately died during their attempt to cross the Channel on the night of September 14-15, according to a police source. Their boat capsized early in the night, while it was still in the immediate vicinity of land, a source within the rescue services told AFP.
The tragedy is part of a series of recent tragic events. It comes less than two weeks after the deadliest shipwreck of the year, which claimed the lives of 12 people on September 3. Since January, the death toll from the crossings has risen to at least 37.
Also read Drama in the Channel: what we know about the 12 deceased migrants
Attempts to cross have increased in recent days. Between Friday and Saturday, the maritime prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea (Prémar) reported the rescue of 200 shipwrecked people and the monitoring of 18 attempts to leave boats.
A deadly summer
The summer was particularly deadly. In mid-July, six migrants died in one week in three separate shipwrecks: four on July 12, an Eritrean woman on the 17th, and a man on the 19th.
Despite the risks, the crossings continue. Since the beginning of the year, more than 22,000 migrants have reached England by sea, according to British authorities.
Faced with this situation, the new Labour government of Keir Starmer, elected in July, has pledged to tackle illegal immigration. Their strategy foresees…
- ParisMatch
