Man dies following Channel crossing rescue operation

A man has passed away during an attempt to traverse the English Channel from France, elevating the count of migrants who have perished on this route this year to a minimum of 58. French officials reported that approximately 15 individuals were saved after falling into the water near the Calais region’s coast on Wednesday morning. Following the group’s return to land via lifeboat and helicopter, the man was pronounced deceased. This incident marks what is thought to be the sixth death within the last fortnight, occurring in a year already recognized as the most lethal for Channel crossings. Organizations assisting refugees have stated that fatalities have become “appallingly regular” and ought not to be accepted or normalised. The Utopia 56 organisation, which provides support to displaced migrants at the French border, indicated that the deceased man was believed to be a father journeying with friends. According to the AFP news agency, Fire Chief Baptiste Gournay identified the man as 28 years old. Angele Vettorello, a co-ordinator for the Utopia 56 group, reported observing men, women, and children attempting to swim back to the shore at the rescue site on Wednesday. She further noted that numerous individuals received treatment for hypothermia directly on the beach. Data compiled by the United Nations indicates that 2024 has been the deadliest year documented for migrant crossings in the Channel. This recent death follows by only a few days the demise of an Indian man, whose migrant boat deflated soon after departing the coast at Tardinghen, close to Calais, on Sunday. Before this, three individuals perished when a small vessel transporting migrants sank in the Channel, and a four-month-old infant died when a separate migrant boat capsized off the northern French coast. Additionally, the bodies of three men were found on French beaches on Wednesday morning, as reported by AFP. Their identities, or whether they were attempting a Channel crossing at the time of their deaths, were not immediately ascertainable. On Wednesday, Border Force vessels transported several individuals wearing life jackets to shore in Dover, as crossings persisted due to advantageous sea conditions. No crossings occurred on Monday or Tuesday. Provisional data from the UK Home Office indicates that the count of migrants arriving in small boats this year has already exceeded the total for 2023. By Sunday, the figure for 2024 stood at 29,867, in contrast to 29,437 for the entirety of 2023. Given the ongoing arrival of additional boats in the UK, this year’s cumulative total is now estimated to surpass 30,000. This figure remains below the record of 45,774 arrivals recorded in 2022. The Home Office has committed to “stop at nothing” in its efforts to dismantle the people-smuggling gangs responsible for orchestrating small boat crossings. A spokesperson stated: “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.” The spokesperson added: “The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay.” A recent undercover investigation by the BBC uncovered a group of people-smugglers operating in Germany who were demanding €15,000 (£12,500) for a Channel crossing “package”. This “package” comprised an inflatable dinghy and 60 life jackets, which the smugglers claimed were kept in clandestine warehouses to evade detection by German police. Enver Solomon, chief executive of the charity Refugee Council, asserted that it was “vital” for the government to do “everything possible” to guarantee that refugees are no longer compelled to risk their lives. He further stated: “We must not forget that those making the perilous journeys across the Channel are desperate men, women and children fleeing persecution and war, in countries such as Afghanistan and Sudan, simply seeking safety and a future free from fear.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.