A two-year-old boy was tragically crushed to death, and several adult migrants lost their lives in two separate incidents overnight as their overcrowded boats attempted to cross the Channel to Britain, according to French officials.
This child was discovered unresponsive in an overloaded dinghy after a call for help was made by migrants this morning.
The dinghy, carrying nearly 90 individuals, suffered engine failure off the coast of Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France. A regional prefect informed reporters that sadly, the boy could not be saved.
Boulogne-sur-Mer prosecutor Guirec Le Bras, citing initial information, reported that the child, born in Germany to a Somali mother, was “crushed” to death.
French authorities are striving to prevent individuals from taking to the sea but refrain from intervening once they are afloat, except for rescue missions, due to safety concerns.
Another boat laden with migrants also experienced engine failure off the coast of Calais, causing panic among the passengers. Some migrants fell into the water and were rescued.
Three individuals—two men and a woman in their thirties—were later found unconscious at the bottom of the boat, as shared by Pas-de-Calais prefect Jacques Billant.
The prefect stated that the trio was “probably crushed, suffocated, and drowned” in the water that accumulated at the bottom of the vessel. Among the adult victims, one was Vietnamese, while the other two were of “African origin,” as per prosecutors’ reports.
The interior ministers of France and Britain have expressed condemnation of the “appalling” incidents.
“A child was trampled to death in a boat,” remarked France’s hard-line interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, on X, adding that other lives were lost in this “appalling tragedy”.
“The smugglers have the blood of these individuals on their hands, and our government will intensify the battle against these gangs profiting from these deadly crossings,” Mr. Retailleau stated.
‘Terrible trade in lives’ – Cooper
British Interior Minister Yvette Cooper echoed similar sentiments.
“It is horrendous that more lives have been lost in the Channel today, including that of a young child, due to criminal smuggler gangs continuing to orchestrate these perilous boat crossings,” she commented.
“These gangs are indifferent to whether people live or die—this is a terrible trade in lives.”
Ms. Cooper noted on X that she was in contact with Mr. Retailleau, and mentioned their meeting this week to discuss “our shared commitment to enhancing cooperation and law enforcement to pursue and dismantle criminal gangs”.
This latest tragedy marks the 51st death of migrants attempting to reach England from France this year, according to Billant.
The prefect highlighted that the inflatable boats used by migrants are of substandard quality, and there are not enough life jackets for everyone aboard.
He also pointed out that traffickers do not “hesitate to separate young children from their parents.”
Since 2018, the number of undocumented asylum seekers crossing the Channel has surged, despite repeated warnings regarding the dangers of this treacherous journey. The Channel is known for heavy maritime traffic, icy waters, and strong currents.
Migrants have frequently faced crushing or trampling incidents aboard overcrowded vessels.
In July, a 21-year-old woman from Kuwait was tragically crushed to death in a boat off the French coastline.
‘Misery and despair’ – Barnier
Both the French and British governments have been working to curb the flow of undocumented migrants, who often pay smugglers thousands of euros each to cross from France to England in small boats.
The frequency of Channel crossings increased since Thursday, likely due to favorable weather conditions.
Since Thursday evening, police have intercepted 31 attempted crossings and rescued over 250 migrants at sea, according to French authorities.
In remarks made public on Saturday, President Emmanuel Macron discussed “the challenge we currently face is effectively combating human traffickers and illegal immigration networks.”
However, he noted that immigration itself should not be perceived as inherently “bad.”
France’s newly appointed right-wing prime minister, Michel Barnier, pledged this week to take a “ruthless” approach against human traffickers, who he claimed “exploit the misery and despair” that compels undocumented asylum seekers to risk crossing the Channel and the Mediterranean.
The charity Utopia 56, which assists migrants, argued for a change in strategy from the authorities.
“To put an end to these tragedies, state actions must shift towards conducting humanitarian rescue operations at sea, paired with a policy of aid in France and safe routes to England,” the organization stated.
In mid-September, eight migrants lost their lives when their overcrowded vessel capsized while attempting to cross the Channel.
