At least 12 migrants have died off the northern French coast on Tuesday while attempting to cross the Channel to England, marking the deadliest migrant disaster of the year, according to the French government.
The incident occurred near Wimereux, a town about five kilometers from Boulogne-sur-Mer.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced the fatalities and revealed that two migrants remain missing.
He said, “All government services are mobilised to find the missing people and treat the injured,” while traveling to the site of the disaster to meet with officials.
Several survivors were wounded after their boat, which was carrying dozens of people, encountered trouble. Many of the injured are in critical condition, and three minors are among the deceased, according to a source close to the investigation.
French maritime authorities reported that emergency services, including the French navy’s Minck ship and helicopters, fishing boats, and military vessels, have been deployed to assist in the ongoing rescue operation.
Naval officer Etienne Baggio noted that the Minck crew were the first to respond to the emergency.
This tragedy is the deadliest migrant crossing incident this year, surpassing the 25 deaths reported in previous crossings.
The crossing attempts have significantly increased compared to last year’s total of 12 deaths.
Both the French and British governments have been working to curtail the flow of migrants, who often pay smugglers thousands of euros for dangerous crossings.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged earlier this summer to enhance cooperation in managing the surge of undocumented migrants.
On Monday alone, 351 migrants crossed in small boats, bringing the total for the year to 21,615, according to UK government statistics. In November 2021, 27 migrants died in the deadliest single crossing disaster.
French authorities focus on preventing migrants from setting out but do not intervene once they are at sea, except for rescue operations.
Meanwhile, the UK government is planning a significant increase in the return of irregular migrants and is targeting the people-smuggling networks that facilitate these perilous journeys.
