Eight Migrants Dead in Channel Crossing Attempt

AFP/APP

Lille, France: Eight migrants have died after their overcrowded vessel capsized while attempting to cross the Channel from France to England early Sunday, French authorities reported.

This tragedy comes less than two weeks after the deadliest migrant disaster in the Channel this year.

The French and British governments have long struggled to curb the migrant flow, with many individuals paying smugglers thousands of euros to make the dangerous journey across the Channel in small boats. A police source indicated that the accident occurred shortly after the boat departed.

Regional prefect Jacques Billant is scheduled to hold a news conference at 10:00 am local time (0800 GMT). Maritime authorities revealed that numerous attempts by migrants to undertake the perilous crossing have been made recently, with 200 people rescued over a 24-hour period from Friday to Saturday.

Earlier this month, at least 12 migrants, mostly from Eritrea, perished when their boat capsized off the northern French coast.

This incident was the deadliest of the year, bringing the total number of migrant deaths in the Channel to 37, a sharp increase from 12 in 2023. Since the start of this year, more than 22,000 migrants have reached England by crossing the Channel, according to British officials.