About 20 folks have misplaced their lives in two weeks whereas making the perilous journey on overcrowded boats.
A minimum of eight folks have died in a single day whereas trying to cross the English Channel from France to the UK, in keeping with French regional authorities.
“A number of migrants misplaced their lives,” the Pas-de-Calais prefecture mentioned on Sunday. The AFP information company, quoting a French police supply, reported that the tragedy occurred after the boat they have been travelling in capsized.
The announcement comes lower than two weeks after 12 folks have been killed after a ship they have been travelling in capsized throughout an tried crossing of the Channel.
It was the deadliest such catastrophe this yr and introduced the variety of migrant and refugee deaths within the Channel to 37, up from 12 in 2023.
Regional prefect Jacques Billant was set to carry a information convention later within the day, his workplace mentioned.
Maritime authorities mentioned on Saturday that quite a few makes an attempt by folks to make the perilous crossing in small boats have been tried in current days, with 200 folks rescued in 24 hours over Friday and Saturday alone.
In response to British officers, greater than 22,000 migrants and refugees have arrived in England by crossing the Channel for the reason that starting of this yr.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged this summer season to strengthen “cooperation” in dealing with the surge in undocumented migrant numbers.
In July, 4 folks died when their inflatable boat capsized off the coast of Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France.
In April, 5 folks, together with a baby, died on an overcrowded boat carrying 112 folks from Wimereux, about 32km (20 miles) southwest of the French port of Calais to the UK.
The deadliest single such catastrophe so far was in November 2021 when 27 folks died when their boat capsized.
