Tragedy Strikes as 12 Migrants Die in Channel Crossing Attempt
A devastating accident has occurred off the northern French coast, claiming the lives of at least 12 migrants who were attempting to cross the Channel to England. The incident is the deadliest of its kind this year, and it has sparked a major rescue operation.
According to French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, the boat carrying dozens of migrants ran into trouble off the coast of Wimereux, a town near Boulogne-sur-Mer. Several people were wounded in the incident, and two migrants are still missing.
Darmanin announced the death toll on Tuesday, stating that all government services are mobilized to find the missing people and treat the injured. Emergency services are providing urgent medical assistance, and French navy helicopters, fishing boats, and military vessels are being deployed to assist in the rescue operation.
The tragedy has highlighted the dangers of migrant crossings, which have become increasingly perilous in recent years. In November 2021, 27 migrants died when their boat capsized in the deadliest single such disaster to date.
The French and British governments have been working to stop the flow of migrants, who pay smugglers thousands of euros to make the journey from France to England. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have pledged to strengthen cooperation in handling the surge in undocumented migrant numbers.
However, despite these efforts, the number of migrants making the crossing continues to rise. On Monday alone, 351 migrants crossed in small boats, with 21,615 making the journey this year, according to UK government statistics.
The British government is now planning a "major surge" in returns of irregular migrants to countries including Iraq, as it tries to clear an asylum backlog. Meanwhile, both governments are seeking to break the business models of people-smuggling gangs who organize the crossings and are paid thousands of euros by each migrant for the risky trip.
The incident serves as a grim reminder of the human cost of the migrant crisis and the need for governments to work together to find a solution.
