Two migrants die trying to cross the English Channel off the coast of France

Two people died on Sunday, August 11, during an attempt to cross the Channel, announced the maritime prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea (Prémar). A boat “was reported in difficulty this morning off the coast between Calais and Dunkirk” And “two people were declared dead”reports the prefecture. “Several nautical means” were deployed to assist those on board, including a helicopter and several vessels, and “Around fifty people were rescued”she adds.

This new migration tragedy brings to nine the number of deaths at sea since mid-July. In recent weeks, the tragedies have been one after another off the French coast, with crossings of the Channel on makeshift boats being particularly numerous in the summer. Over the whole of 2023, 12 migrants died trying to reach England by sea, according to Prémar. A human toll already largely exceeded in 2024, with at least 25 deaths since January.