8 Migrants Going From France To UK Die In Latest English Channel Wreck, Infant Among 6 Hospitalised

The 60 occupants of the boat hailed from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Egypt, and Afghanistan, among other countries. The accident occurred about two weeks after 12 people died while crossing the Channel.

Eight migrants died while trying to cross the English Channel between France and the UK on Sunday, French maritime authorities said, according to a Reuters report. The incident occurred around 1 am local time. Rescue services were alerted when the boat ran into difficulty in waters north of Boulogne-sur-mer in the northern Pas-de-Calais region. 

The 60 occupants of the boat hailed from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Egypt, and Afghanistan, among other countries, as per BBC.

The accident occurred about two weeks after 12 people, including six children and a pregnant woman, died while crossing the Channel. This incident marked the deadliest loss of life in the Channel this year. The series of tragedies highlights the pressure on the British and French governments to find ways to tackle such boat crossings.

According to the BBC report, the French coast guard said the boat was seen on Sunday heading towards the beach town of Ambleteuse. However, the rescue team was unable to help from the sea. "After getting into difficulty, it was driven onto rocks where it came apart," the report said. 

On the beach, emergency services provided care to 53 people and the coast guard confirmed eight had died. Six people were taken to hospital “in relative emergency", including a 10-month-old baby with hypothermia.  

British officials expressed sadness over the latest English Channel tragedy. “It’s awful,’’ Foreign Secretary David Lammy told the BBC. “It’s a further loss of life.” Lammy reiterated the UK government’s plan to work with its European partners to stop criminal people-smuggling gangs to deter small boat crossings.

As Europe continues to tighten its strict asylum rules, rising xenophobia and the hostile treatment of migrants is pushing them northwards. Around 46 people — the highest number since 2021 — have died while trying to cross to the UK this year, Jacques Billant, the Prefect of the Pas-de-Calais region said, as quoted by CNN.

BBC reported that 801 people crossed the Channel on Saturday — the second-highest daily total so far this year, according to provisional Home Office figures. On June 18, 882 people made the journey.

The Channel is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes and currents are strong, which makes crossing on small boats dangerous, according to Reuters.