Nearly 800 migrants crossed the Channel over Easter weekend, a record since the start of 2024

Nearly 800 migrants crossed the Channel Sea this weekend, France Bleu Nord learned on Monday April 1 from the British and French authorities. The number of crossings reached a new record for the first quarter of 2024.

Many exiles crossed the Channel on makeshift boats over the Easter weekend. The British authorities detected 16 makeshift, overloaded boats, with an average of around fifty people per boat. In total, they recorded 791 arrivals in the space of two days, between Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, 349 exiles arrived on the English coast, reports France Bleu Nord. On Sunday, there were 442.

On the French side, 78 migrants who found themselves in difficulty on the water were rescued last Saturday and brought back to land. Since January, at least seven migrants have drowned while trying to reach the English coast, recalls France Bleu Nord.

In total, more than 1,100 people crossed the Channel over the entire last week. Since the start of the year, the number of crossings has increased significantly compared to last year: in the first quarter, between January 1 and March 27, 4,600 exiles managed to cross the Channel, according to published figures. by London last Wednesday, an increase of 23% compared to last year at the same period. These data mark a new record for the number of crossings at this time of year.