Migrants undeterred: New channel crossing attempts despite fatal risks

Tragic attempts to cross the English Channel continue. Just a day after the death of 12 migrants during a failed attempt to travel from northern France to the United Kingdom, another group took a similar risk. Witnesses noticed an inflatable dinghy with migrants on the beach in Wimereux, not far from the site of the previous tragedy, which set out on the perilous journey across the channel.

News of this new attempt to cross the channel emerged just a few hours after details of Tuesday's tragedy were revealed. The French coastguard confirmed that of the approximately 65 people on the boat, 12 died. In the rescue operation, 51 people were saved, and two are still being searched for.

French interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, described the incident as a "terrible maritime disaster." In his post on platform X, he noted that there were dozens of migrants, mainly from Eritrea, on a small boat measuring less than 23 feet in length.

I came to Boulogne-sur-Mer to meet and thank the rescue services, the police, and sailors who bravely rescued 51 people from drowning – Darmanin said, adding that these boats sink very quickly, making the risk of death during such crossings enormous.

Olivier Barbarin, mayor of Le Portel, near Boulogne-sur-Mer, explained that the bottom of the boat "tore apart," and all the passengers fell into the water. Most of them did not have life jackets, which further complicated the rescue operation. Several migrants required immediate medical attention.

A day after the tragedy, more people took the risk, heading from northern France towards the United Kingdom. These scenes were recorded by journalists on the beach in Wimereux, near the site of Tuesday's disaster. The shocking images illustrate the immense determination of migrants despite the dangers that lie ahead of them.

Enver Solomon, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council, noted that the number of deaths on the English Channel this year is "shockingly high." He expressed that "law enforcement alone is not a sufficient solution" and called for more safe and legal routes for asylum seekers.

This year, the death toll during attempts to cross the English Channel has exceeded 30. According to the International Organization for Migration, since January 2023, at least 226 people, including 35 children, have gone missing or died while trying to get to the United Kingdom.

Concerns about the activities of smugglers are growing, especially regarding their actions of placing an increasing number of migrants on small and poor-quality boats, which increases the risk of tragedy.

The tragedy that occurred on Tuesday has once again drawn public attention to the dramatic situation of migrants and the challenges related to managing the migration crisis. Each day, the pressure on the governments of the United Kingdom and France increases to introduce more effective solutions to prevent further tragedies in the English Channel.