Three Dead in Tragic Channel Crossing as 2024 Becomes Deadliest Year for Sea Crossings

 

Three people have tragically lost their lives after falling from an overcrowded small boat attempting to cross the English Channel from France to the UK on Sunday morning. The incident occurred near Blériot-Plage, close to the French port of Calais, at around 6 a.m., when several passengers fell into the cold waters while trying to board the vessel.

French emergency services swiftly responded to the situation, rescuing 48 people, with 45 of them requiring urgent medical attention, the majority suffering from hypothermia. Four individuals were urgently transferred to hospital. A French naval helicopter was deployed to recover the three individuals who had fallen into the sea, but they were later pronounced dead by medical professionals. An investigation into the incident has been launched by the Boulogne-sur-Mer prosecutor’s office.

The tragic event brings the death toll for Channel crossings to at least 76 people in 2024, making it the deadliest year on record for the perilous journey. The number of fatalities includes a baby who died in October when an overloaded boat sank, and six children along with a pregnant woman who perished in a boat disaster in September.

Sangatte Mayor Guy Allemand expressed his concern, stating, "It never stops. It’s crossing after crossing, without any letup," highlighting the ongoing danger faced by those attempting to reach the UK. The surge in crossings, particularly since favourable weather conditions returned over the holiday period, has raised alarms. Between 25 and 28 December, 1,485 people crossed the Channel, and dozens more successfully completed the dangerous journey on Sunday morning.

Despite claims from the UK government that they are disrupting people-smuggling operations by seizing dinghies, the numbers continue to rise. Charities have warned of the dangerous conditions, as small inflatable boats are often overloaded and the water temperatures remain dangerously low. On Christmas Day alone, French authorities conducted 12 rescue operations, saving 107 people in distress.

The tragic deaths highlight the ongoing crisis, as the number of Channel crossings since 2018 exceeds 150,000. The UK government has pledged to take stronger action against people-smuggling gangs, while opposition leaders, such as Keir Starmer, have called for greater international cooperation to combat this growing issue, likening the gangs to a global security threat.

As the search for answers continues, many migrants are choosing to stay in camps in northern France, enduring harsh living conditions and frequent police evictions, while others, like one asylum seeker from Lebanon, have abandoned their attempts to cross to the UK in favor of seeking asylum in Germany.