A baby has died and 65 people have been saved from the English Channel when a migrant boat sank on its crossing towards Britain.
The news was reported by French Maritime authorities who confirmed that French rescuers had noticed the boat in a precarious situation, most probably due to being overloaded with passengers, and that people could be seen in the sea. The attempted rescue of migrant passengers late last night unfortunately ended in tragedy as one baby was found unconscious and was later declared dead. Remaining passengers on the ship were attended in the French port of Boulogne-sur-Mer by police and medical professionals.
2024 has been the deadliest year of tragedies related to migrant deaths crossing the channel
Sadly, this is not an isolated incident and 2024 has marked the deadliest year of shipwrecks in the English Channel. In September, six children and a similar number of adults deceased in yet another dangerous attempt to cross over to Britain. Last month alone, a minimum of 20 migrants added to the number of fatal victims of shipwrecks in the Channel. According to official UK Home Office figures,over 26,000 migrants have reached British shores since January 1.
Death of migrant baby highlights the need for action to be taken
The ongoing tragedy of migrants arriving on British shores, often at great personal risk, underscores the urgent need for safer, more humane solutions to the migration crisis. As the death toll from dangerous English Channel crossings continues to rise, it is a stark reminder of the desperation that drives people to make these perilous journeys and the critical importance of addressing the root causes of migration while improving rescue and prevention efforts.
