MIGRANT TRAGEDY: Heartbreaking Loss in the English Channel
- Four migrants, including a 2-year-old child, died in two incidents while trying to cross the English Channel to Britain. French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau condemned the smugglers, stating they have “the blood of these people on their hands.” He promised intensified efforts against these criminal networks profiting from dangerous crossings.
The recent deaths add to a grim trend making 2024 one of the deadliest years for Channel crossings. Last month, 12 migrants perished when their boat broke apart. Two weeks later, another eight lives were lost in similar circumstances.
Pas-de-Calais prefect Jacques Billant reported that rescuers found the deceased child aboard a migrant boat that had called for help Saturday morning. Fourteen other migrants were rescued and returned to France for questioning by border police. A 17-year-old with leg burns was hospitalized in Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Some migrants refused rescue and continued toward Britain despite the risks involved. Billant criticized smuggling networks for endangering lives without regard for safety, particularly families with children, leading them into perilous situations and often death.