An Indian migrant in his 40s died early Sunday in a desperate attempt to cross the English Channel to Britain, marking the latest in a string of recent fatalities on this perilous route.
French officials reported the incident, which follows two tragic boat sinkings within the past ten days, intensifying concerns over the human toll of migrant crossings.
The man embarked from the beach at Tardinghen in northern France’s Pas-de-Calais department, according to the local prefecture. Shortly after departing around 5:30 a.m. (0430 GMT), the fragile vessel began to deflate, leaving the passengers in a precarious situation just off the coast.
With some passengers lacking life jackets, a majority managed to swim back to the shore, the prefecture said. Unfortunately, the Indian migrant suffered a cardiac arrest and could not be revived despite emergency responders’ efforts.
This latest fatality brings the Channel death toll to at least 56 this year, a grim record with two months still left in 2024.
Sunday’s tragedy follows Wednesday’s incident when two men and a woman lost their lives after their boat was wrecked approximately two kilometers offshore near Calais. The previous week, a four-month-old infant perished after another boat disintegrated mid-crossing. On Friday, three other migrants were hospitalized with injuries and hypothermia from similar attempts.
“This ongoing migration policy bears responsibility for these tragic deaths,” stated Axel Gaudiant, coordinator of the migrant aid association Utopia 46 in Calais.
France and Britain have cooperated for years to intercept small boats leaving northern France, yet crossings persist. According to the British Home Office, over 29,000 migrants have successfully made the journey to Britain since January 2024 alone, highlighting the scale of migration pressures and the escalating risks.
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