Twelve dead migrants in the English Channel, daily newspaper junge Welt, 04.09.2024

Boulogne sur Mer. Twelve people were killed and others injured when a refugee boat capsized in the English Channel off the coast of northern France. Two people are still missing, according to French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.

The maritime prefecture announced that the rescue operation off the coastal town of Le Portel near Boulogne-sur-Mer was ongoing. 65 people were pulled from the water, twelve of whom could only be recovered dead. Some of the equipment was not being used to provide medical care. Numerous ships and helicopters were used in the rescue operation. All migrants on the capsized boat, which was heading for Great Britain, were thrown into the sea. Interior Minister Darmanin spoke of a “terrible shipwreck”. The minister wanted to arrive at the scene of the accident in the late afternoon.

The station France 3 reported a boat overloaded with migrants. They had no life jackets. “We are shocked by the tragic deaths in the latest incident in the English Channel,” said the head of the British refugee aid organization Refugee Council, Enver Solomon. “The number of fatalities in the English Channel this year has been shockingly high. This is a devastating trend that shows that a comprehensive and multi-pronged approach is urgently needed to reduce dangerous crossings in the English Channel.”

Migrants repeatedly cross the English Channel to reach Great Britain. They often make the journey in small rubber dinghies. The crossing is dangerous, also because the channel is used by many large ships. People often lose their lives during the crossings. Most recently, 31 people, including five women and a little girl, died in November 2021 when a boat sank off the northern French coast.

Britain has been trying to curb migration across the English Channel for some time, with French help, and is paying France millions to do so. The previous conservative government wanted to deter migrants with tough measures – for example, with the plan to deport them to Rwanda regardless of their actual origin.

However, the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has been in power with his social democratic Labour Party since July, has overturned the plan after courts and human rights organizations also sharply criticized it. Starmer has announced that he wants to take stronger action against people smuggling gangs. Just a few days ago, Starmer consulted with French President Emmanuel Macron about how to deal with migration across the English Channel. (dpa/jW)