According to French rescue services, there has been an incident involving a small boat in the Channel resulting in one confirmed fatality and two individuals currently unaccounted for.
According to the maritime authority for the English Channel, four rescue missions led by France were carried out in the channel on Wednesday. These operations were organized by the Gris-Nez regional surveillance and rescue team.
Authorities reported that 179 individuals attempting to cross through the Channel were successfully saved.
A representative from the British government stated on Wednesday that there was an event in the Channel involving a small boat in French territory.
The response and investigation is being spearheaded by French authorities.
The Maritime Prefecture announced that multiple boats were reported to be in distress along the coast of Pas-de-Calais.
A vessel was spotted near the shore in Wissant, but upon investigation, no distress signal was observed from those on board. The boat proceeded with its voyage. Soon after, a second boat was discovered in need of assistance in the vicinity, and 55 individuals were rescued and brought to Boulogne-sur-Mer.
However, at noon, the passengers on the initial vessel requested assistance and a total of 56 individuals were assisted. The passengers reported that three individuals had fallen overboard earlier that morning. A rescue mission involving a helicopter and boat was initiated.
“A first person was located, unconscious and could not be revived on board,” the local French authorities said. “The person unfortunately died at port. Weather conditions made the search for two remaining missing people difficult. The prosecutor’s office in Boulogne-sur-Mer has opened an investigation.”
Meanwhile, a second small boat was spotted off the coast of Sainte-Cécile and 14 individuals were saved. According to French officials, some passengers on the boat declined the aid being extended. Rescue teams deemed the hazard of forcibly transferring people onto rescue boats at sea to be too great and those who refused assistance remained on the small boat.
Simultaneously, a different vessel was discovered in distress near the Pas-de-Calais shoreline and 54 individuals were saved.
Enver Solomon, the CEO of the Refugee Council, expressed his sympathies for the families of those affected by the devastating incident in the English Channel and praised the efforts of those who responded to the distress call.
“We are witnessing another tragic loss of human life that could have been prevented. People of all ages and genders, including those from Afghanistan, are risking their lives in the Channel due to the lack of safe and effective routes.”
If the government does not change its strategy, there will be an increase in deaths. We should not follow the expensive and illegal Rwanda plan, but instead implement a plan that offers safety for those escaping persecution, violence, and torture. This can be done by creating more opportunities for family reunification, introducing refugee visas, and working with the French government to give individuals a fair asylum process and treat them with respect and compassion.
A representative from HM Coastguard stated that they are currently carrying out a search and rescue operation for a missing individual from a small boat in the English Channel. This incident took place in the French search and rescue area earlier today.
According to recent statistics from the Home Office, over 2,000 individuals have reached the United Kingdom in 2021 by crossing the English Channel from France.
In 2023, there were 29,437 arrivals in the UK, which is 32% lower than the number recorded at the same time last year (2,953), but 49% higher than the total at this stage in 2022 (1,482). This is a decrease of 36% from the record-breaking 45,774 arrivals in 2022.
According to the Home Office, there were no new arrivals on Tuesday or Monday of this week. However, on Sunday, 290 asylum seekers arrived on five different boats.
Source: theguardian.com
