At least eight migrants lost their lives while attempting to cross the English Channel. As more than 800 individuals made successful crossings into the UK on the same day.
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The incident occurred overnight near Ambleteuse. At around 1:00 AM, a boat carrying 59 migrants from countries such as Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iran ran into difficulties and tore apart on the rocks.
French authorities confirmed that at least eight individuals died in this disaster. Six others were hospitalized including a 10-month-old baby who suffered from hypothermia.
51 survivors were rescued by French authorities. The boat involved was overloaded and in poor condition, consistent with the trend of traffickers providing substandard vessels to desperate people willing to risk their lives for a chance at safety.
The vessel lacked proper life jackets and many survivors were found in critical condition due to exposure to the elements.
This disaster came on a day when 801 people successfully reached the UK after making the crossing. According to UK government figures, these crossings were made in 14 small boats, the second-highest number of arrivals in a single day this year.
The highest number was recorded on 18 June 2024, when 882 people crossed in 15 boats. Between January and September 2024, more than 21,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats.
The death toll from English Channel crossings in 2024 has risen to at least 45.
Over the same 24-hour period, French authorities rescued around 200 people attempting English Channel crossings. The French coast guard and navy vessels were actively involved in multiple rescue operations including one involving 55 people located off the coast of Le Portel and another in which 61 people were rescued near La Becque d’Hardelot.
Additional rescues took place near a lighthouse, where 48 people were saved and 36 more individuals were brought back to land safely by the end of the day.
On Saturday, French authorities monitored 18 attempts to launch boats across the English Channel
Regional French official Jacques Billant condemned the human traffickers who are profiting from these perilous crossings, putting thousands of lives at risk.
Billant highlighted how these smugglers are using poorly constructed, underinflated and overloaded boats that often lack life jackets and basic safety provisions.
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Billant also said that only one in six people on the boat that tore apart near Ambleteuse had a life jacket. Many of the boats used by smugglers are grossly unfit for navigating the treacherous waters of the English Channel.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy expressed his sorrow, calling the deaths awful and reinforcing the UK government’s commitment to cracking down on human trafficking gangs.
Lammy addressed that the UK is working with European partners to target these smugglers, but the causes of these perilous crossings remain largely unaddressed.
Steve Valdez-Symonds, director of refugee and migrant rights at Amnesty International UK called this another appalling and avoidable tragedy, condemning both the UK and French governments for their failure to establish safe asylum routes.
Valdez-Symonds said that the current smash the gangs approach only increases the dangers for asylum seekers, as smugglers take more risks to evade detection. He called for shared responsibility between France and the UK in creating safer pathways for refugees.
Over the past few days, calmer weather in the Channel has led to an uptick in attempted crossings. On the same day, 801 people managed to make the journey. The highest number of crossings in a single day occurred on June 18, when 882 people crossed the Channel.
In a 24-hour period spanning Friday and Saturday, 200 migrants were rescued from several boats attempting to make the dangerous crossing. Authorities monitored 18 separate crossing attempts that day.
Less than two weeks ago, another incident claimed the lives of at least 12 people including 10 women and girls, when a boat tore apart in the English Channel. Over 65 people were rescued after the vessel got into difficulties near Cap Gris-Nez, France. Only eight of the 70 people on board had life jackets.
The rising number of deaths 45 so far this year, up from 12 in 2023.
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