more and more migrants are trying to cross the Channel

More and more migrants are trying to cross the Channel to reach England. One of them lost his life Wednesday, November 3 during the sinking of his boat. 400 people were saved, a record number according to the emergency services. “The water suddenly rose in the boat”, testified a young Kurdish man in Grande-Synthe (North) on October 26th. “We stayed two hours in the sea. We called the police and a helicopter came. The boat was made for 20 people but they loaded 40. (…) I really thought I was going to die.”

At Grande-Synthe, there are nearly a thousand waiting for the start. With winter approaching, the weather conditions are likely to complicate the crossings. “I tried to cross, six or seven times with my daughter, says a woman. But I was arrested by the police. “ On the coast, the authorities maintain constant pressure to avoid “fixing points”, going as far as tearing up migrants’ tents. Humanitarian associations are calling for a moratorium on dismantling. For its part, the government offers to accommodate the deported migrants for one night before transporting them to centers. But this idea does not satisfy either local elected officials or associations.