emergencies
Migrant boat capsizes in English Channel, killing six
In the English Channel, British sea rescuers rescued several people from the water last Thursday, who are believed to be migrants. photo
© Gareth Fuller/PA Wire/dpa
A boat is in distress in the English Channel off the coast of France en route to Britain. Around 50 people on board can be rescued. But six people do not survive the crossing.
The public prosecutor’s office initiated investigations. French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne wrote on the online platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that she was remembering the victims after the boat capsized.
The search for people continues
According to the maritime prefecture, a total of around 50 people were rescued from a boat in distress near Calais in northern France, some by British forces. The search for people is still ongoing. The French Secretary of State for the Sea, Hervé Berville, was expected on site after the accident.
Again and again, migrants cross the English Channel in small inflatable boats. The crossing is dangerous, mainly because the estuary is used by many large ships. People keep getting killed.
On Thursday, a total of 755 migrants were registered in Great Britain who came across the English Channel in small boats – more than ever on a single day this year. A total of 15,826 migrants have entered the UK this way since January 1, according to a report by the PA news agency, up from 100,715 since records began in early 2018.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s conservative government is trying to deter the migrants. She recently even threatened life imprisonment for lawyers who help migrants falsify asylum applications. Sunak has made it one of his key goals to stop the boats – so far without success. The Conservatives had announced that Brexit would slow down migration. However, since then there has been no readmission agreement with the EU.