A migrant boat leaving France for the United Kingdom capsized early on Saturday morning, August 12. The tragedy killed at least six people, while rescuers pulled out more than 50 others.
6 Fatalities, 54 Persons Saved
Around 6:00 AM local time, French officials allegedly started a large rescue effort as dozens of migrant boats attempted to cross the Channel simultaneously.
The town's mayor, Franck Dhersin, told Reuters that several boats encountered serious difficulties. Bodies were discovered tragically close to the beach town of Sangatte. According to the report, French maritime officials confirmed the deaths of at least six people and indicated that rescue efforts were still underway.
A rescue boat volunteer said their team had rescued 54 individuals from the drowning vessel. Overcrowded and sinking, she said the migrants were using their shoes to bail water out of the vessel.
Herve Berville, France's junior minister for maritime affairs, will go to Calais, where one of the migrant boats sank, as announced by French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. "My thoughts are with the victims," Borne said on X (previously Twitter) messaging platform.
The British coastguard claimed they sent a lifeboat from Dover, together with a rescue crew and medical workers, to help in the search and rescue.
In a second incident on Saturday, the British coastguard reported that a UK Border Force vessel and two lifeboats successfully rescued everyone on board another small boat in the Channel.
British Home Secretary Suella Braverman remarked, "My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the tragic loss of life in the Channel today. This morning, I spoke with our Border Force teams who have been supporting the French authorities in response to this incident."
Also Read: UK: Labour Party to House Asylum Seekers on Barges While Clearing Backlog
Risky Trip From France to the UK
In recent years, thousands of asylum seekers have tried the perilous journey from France to England. Fox News said human traffickers prey on the migrants' desperation by cramming them onto flimsy boats at risk of the seas and heavy maritime traffic as they attempt to reach Britain.
According to the British authorities, over 100,000 asylum seekers have tried to enter the country via traveling through France in the last year. More than 15,000 people have attempted to enter the country illegally this year.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain has sworn to "stop the boats" after criticism from his party's dwindling ranks. Sunak claimed success in June when the number of crossings was down 20% from the previous year, but the Labour Party has accused him of doing little to remove a backlog of thousands of asylum petitions, even as new migrants continue to come.
The cost of providing lodging for the migrants that arrive in the UK is estimated to be $7.4 million per day (£6 million).
Also Read: 41 Feared Dead in Mediterranean Sea Migrant Shipwreck Off the Italian Coast
