Twelve people, including children and a pregnant woman, died after a boat carrying dozens of migrants capsized and sank off the French coast in the English Channel. Of the 12 dead, 10 were female and two were male, according to a report by the BBC.
Emergency workers rescued 53 people and recovered the bodies of the deceased off Cape Gris-Nez, near Boulogne-sur-Mer, as per CNN. Two of the rescuees were said to be in critical condition. Three helicopters, two fishing vessels and two boats were deployed in the search and rescue operation.
The BBC quoted authorities as saying that the boat was loaded over its capacity, which caused it to "rip open". Additionally, only a few people on the boat were wearing life jackets.
A BBC source suggested that a Syrian smuggler might have been involved. French prosecutor Guirec Le Bras said the victims were believed to be “primarily of Eritrean origin”, although the exact nationalities have not yet been confirmed. As of September 2, 21,403 people had crossed the Channel in 2024.
The incident is the latest in a series of tragedies in the English Channel, where the number of small boats used by migrants in an attempt to reach Britain has surged. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that at least 189 migrants died in the English Channel between 2018 and August 19, 2024. Before Tuesday's accident, 30 people had already lost their lives crossing the English Channel in 2024.
According to BBC, the French authorities said they were preventing 60% of small boat departures. But smugglers cram up to 70 people on vessels that are meant to carry 30 to 40 people, which leads to deadly wrecks.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the incident as "horrifying and deeply tragic". She said the gangs that are behind this “appalling and callous trade in human lives have been cramming” people on increasingly unseaworthy dinghies, and sending them out in the English Channel even during poor weather. There have been efforts to “dismantle these dangerous and criminal smuggler gangs and to strengthen border security”, she added, as per BBC.
France has urged the UK and EU to agree on a "treaty on migration" to curb small boat crossings. "Women and men are dying as a result of these human traffickers who are real criminals," French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told reporters, as quoted by Reuters.
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to work closer together to dismantle migrant smuggling routes, according to Reuters.
Starmer said he will take tougher measures to "smash" the people-smuggling gangs responsible. Ten Downing Street said it had already taken action by recruiting more officers to the National Crime Agency, and setting up the government’s Border Security Command "to tackle organised immigration crime".
However, critics argue that the government should instead do more to provide safe routes to asylum seekers.
As per BBC, Amnesty International UK said on Tuesday: "No amount of 'smash the gangs' policing and government rhetoric is going to stop these disasters from unfolding time and again if the needs of people exploited by those gangs remain unaddressed."