Three migrants die attempting English Channel crossing
Three people died while trying to cross the English Channel in a small boat on Sunday morning, the French coast guard said.
At around 06:00 local time (05:00 GMT), people trying to board the boat off the coast of Sangatte in northern France ended up falling into the water.
About 45 people were treated on the beach, many suffering from hypothermia and four were taken to hospital.
it has been Deadliest year on record For channel crossings.
The UK Home Office confirmed an incident had occurred in French waters and French authorities were leading the investigation.
“It never stops,” Sangat Mayor Guy Aleman told AFP. “It goes through again and again, without any pause.”
He said seven people required intensive care following the incident.
Pierre-Henri Dumont, MP for the Pas de Calais region, told the BBC: “Our rescue teams are excellent and can reach the area very quickly, but at this time of year, with the water temperatures dropping, it takes even longer to be in the water. It can be fatal within minutes.”
More than 36,000 people have crossed the English Channel The number of small boats so far this year has surpassed the 29,437 expected in 2023, government data shows.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency that tracks cross-Channel deaths, said 77 people had died Died while trying to travel this year.
The Home Office has said it will clamp down on people smuggling “at all costs”, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer making “dismantling gangs that facilitate border crossings” one of his top priorities.
