Another overcrowded boat with migrants on board sank as it tried to cross the Channel towards Britain. A baby also died in the accident on Friday evening, French authorities said.
As a result, 68 more people were saved. This brings to 52 the number of migrants who have had fatal accidents in the English Channel this year.
Baby found in the water
The accident took place off the coast of the city of Wissant, the responsible prefecture announced. The baby was found in the water and pronounced dead. According to the Public Prosecution Service, 52 men, twelve women and four children could have been saved. There were mainly Iranians, Iraqis, Albanians and Eritreans on board.
The Observatory had reported the departure of a migrant boat and dispatched several rescue boats. There was also a Belgian helicopter in action. When the refugee boat was found, there were already countless people in the water.
The number of crossings increased sharply
The number of migrants crossing the Channel to Britain in rubber boats has increased sharply since 2018, despite repeated warnings. Overcrowded boats capsize again and again. Children are often among the victims.
At the beginning of September, twelve people were killed in the worst accident of the year so far, half of them children or young people. In October, a two-year-old child was crushed to death on board a boat; There were almost 90 people on the boat who panicked due to an engine failure.
According to British figures, an average of 53 people travel on the boats that make the crossing. About 26,000 migrants have arrived in Britain this way since the start of this year.
Tackling immigration was the central topic during a summit of EU heads of state and government on Thursday. They spoke out more clearly than before in favor of a stricter immigration policy. Among other things, they “urgently” called for a new law that would accelerate the deportation of rejected asylum seekers.
Source: Krone
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