A two-year-old child was crushed to death and three adults likely suffered a similar fate in two separate incidents involving overcrowded migrant boats attempting to cross the English Channel, French officials said Saturday.
The toddler’s body was recovered from a dinghy carrying nearly 90 people that experienced engine failure off the coast of Boulogne-sur-Mer. Regional prosecutor Guirec Le Bras said initial information suggested the child was “crushed” to death.
In a separate incident near Calais, three adults — two men and a woman, all around 30 years old — were found unconscious at the bottom of another boat. Pas-de-Calais regional prefect Jacques Billant told reporters they were “probably crushed, suffocated and drowned.”
“These tragedies highlight the ruthlessness of people smugglers,” said Dr. Emma Wilson, a migration expert at King’s College London. “They’re willing to risk lives, including those of children, for profit.”
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau condemned the “appalling tragedy” on social media platform X, vowing to “intensify the fight against these gangs who enrich themselves by organizing these deadly crossings.”
His British counterpart, Yvette Cooper, echoed the sentiment, stating, “The gangs do not care if people live or die — this is a terrible trade in lives.”
The incidents bring the death toll for Channel crossing attempts to 51 so far this year, according to French authorities. Despite warnings about the journey’s dangers, crossings have surged since 2018, with over 25,000 migrants arriving in Britain by this route in 2023.
Both French and British governments have pledged stricter measures to curb undocumented migration. French Prime Minister Michel Barnier recently promised a “ruthless” approach to people traffickers, while Britain aims to increase deportations of failed asylum seekers.
france24.com
