One dead in new Channel migrant boat accident
2 Min Read
The death toll of migrants crossing from France to the UK is on the rise, with one man losing his life and 30 others rescued.
-
Even during the winter, crossings have continued.
Prosecutors said Friday that one man died and about 30 other people were rescued in the Channel after their boat encountered difficulties while attempting to cross from northern France to Britain.
The victim is believed to be in his twenties and of Sudanese origin, according to the prosecutor's office in Boulogne-sur-Mer, who also stated that the others were rescued in waters off the village of Berck.
According to a tally from Britain's PA news agency, a record 28,000 migrants crossed the Channel from France to the UK in small boats last year, causing major diplomatic tensions between the neighbors.
Even during the winter, crossings have continued, with Friday's attempt made in calm but cold weather.
On December 26, the French Maritime Prefecture of the English Channel and the North Sea reported that French rescuers saved 40 people on a distressed ship sailing in the Strait of Dover between the UK and France.
A month earlier, 31 people were killed in the deadliest disaster since migrants began taking to the water in large numbers rather than attempting to stow away in trucks or cars traveling between countries.
The disaster, which is the deadliest single migrant crossing in recent times, comes as tensions between London and Paris escalate over the record number of people crossing.
As reported on November 21, 243 migrants were rescued crossing the Channel; a few days earlier, 272 more were also rescued, according to the French Maritime Prefecture.
France previously hosted a conference, which Britain was absent from, to explore ways to prevent migrants from crossing the Channel in dinghies.
Accusations have been leveled by both countries against one another, with Britain urging France to implement tougher measures to stop migrants from making the voyage, but the collaboration between the two countries has been characterized by stiffness due to the fishing row.
