Refugees in the English Channel: Many dead in boat accident

More than 20 refugees have died while crossing the English Channel. Your ship is said to have capsized beforehand. The French Navy was able to rescue several casualties – some are in mortal danger.

According to the French police, 20 people died when a refugee boat capsized in the English Channel. The accident occurred off the coast of Calais. Initially, five dead were reported. Prime Minister Jean Castex spoke of a “tragedy”. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin wants to travel to the site of the accident.

Helicopters search for survivors

The crew of a French Navy boat saw several people floating in the water off the coast of Calais in the afternoon, said the Interior Ministry in Paris. Many of them could only be rescued dead, and several castaways were taken on board by the navy, some of them unconscious.

As the Maritime Prefecture announced during the ongoing rescue operation, a fishing boat made an emergency call, according to which several migrants were in distress in the English Channel. Three rescue ships and two helicopters were then used. You could have got several casualties out of the water, some are in mortal danger. From the air and by boat, possible further shipwrecked persons are searched for in the sea.

7800 people have already been rescued from distress at sea

According to the responsible prefecture, the number of attempted crossings from France to Great Britain has risen to 31,500 since the beginning of the year. It has doubled since August. About 7,800 people were rescued from distress at sea. In total, at least twelve people have died or are missing in 2021. Migrant crossings to the UK add significantly to tension between Paris and London.

The migrants often use unseaworthy boats and pay high prices to smugglers. Many want to go to Great Britain because they speak the language and already have friends or relatives there. The increase in the numbers since August is likely to have something to do with the fact that the crossing will soon be even more dangerous with the falling temperatures. “It cannot be stressed enough how criminal the smugglers who organize these crossings are,” said Interior Minister Darmanin.