A migrant has tragically died after falling into the sea while attempting to cross the English Channel from France to Britain on an overcrowded small boat, French authorities confirmed. The man was among a group who fell overboard near Hardelot in northern France, where the French Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and North Sea deployed a rescue operation. Despite efforts to save him, the man was pronounced dead after being airlifted ashore.
The incident adds to a grim toll, bringing the number of migrant deaths linked to such crossings this year to 57. Favorable weather conditions today encouraged a surge in attempts to cross the Channel, with many setting off in the early hours, according to French authorities.
Rescue services responded quickly to the scene, with firetrucks and other emergency teams aiding survivors. Witnesses reported seeing a partially deflated dinghy on the beach, with approximately 20 migrants being escorted to a nearby building for warmth. Two miles from shore, a group of visibly cold and exhausted migrants, some wrapped in survival blankets, sat on a bench, still recovering from the harrowing ordeal.
A member of Utopia 56, a charity assisting migrants, reported that several individuals were suffering from severe hypothermia. “For several months, it’s been one person dying every five days trying to cross the Channel,” said Utopia 56’s Celestin Pichaud. “The situation is beyond dramatic. Land and sea rescue services are completely overwhelmed.”
The journey from France to the UK, while perilous, remains an increasingly common route for migrants and asylum seekers since 2018, despite heightened risks and international efforts to dismantle people-smuggling networks. Activists claim that crackdowns have led traffickers to resort to larger and more overcrowded boats, increasing the likelihood of accidents.
Today’s incident follows a string of similar tragedies in recent weeks. Just last Sunday, an Indian man died off the French coast, and last Wednesday, a boat capsized near Calais, killing three migrants, including a woman. A week prior, a four-month-old baby died in an overloaded boat heading for the UK. These tragic incidents make 2024 the deadliest year on record for Channel crossings since 2018.
Since January, over 26,000 migrants have reached the UK by crossing the Channel, according to the UK Home Office.
