Another record high in migrant crossings leads to tragic death of woman

Tragically, a woman lost her life while attempting to cross the English Channel over the weekend amidst a surge in migrant crossings from France.

The French coast guard rescued 34 migrants after a heavily overloaded boat encountered difficulties overnight on Saturday into Sunday, but unfortunately, they were unable to save the woman.

These incidents occurred as records show a historical number of crossings in the first seven months of a calendar year.

As reported by the Home Office, a total of 255 migrants completed the journey on Sunday, increasing the provisional total for the year to 16,457. This surpasses the previous record of 16,420 arrivals in the same period in 2022, with 14,732 arrivals in the corresponding period last year.

On Monday morning, another incident involved a migrant shouting “this is for Rishi Sunak” while navigating an inflatable boat along a riverway before picking up more individuals from a beach near Calais and continuing their journey across the English Channel.

Footage from the PA news agency shows a group on a black dinghy reaching the sea, where many migrants entered the water at Gravelines and boarded a crowded boat.

Men, women, and children, some wearing life jackets, emerged from sand dunes and crossed the beach.

Some children were carried on shoulders, while families opted not to proceed into the sea, instead, others ventured into the water to join the inflatable boat.

Police were present on the beach, approaching families before they turned back, and volunteers from the refugee charity Utopia 56 were also on-site, assisting with emergencies, ensuring boats at sea are safe, providing clothing, and observing police interactions with migrants on the beaches.

Utopia 56 volunteer Pablo Eymard-Picollec mentioned that police officers communicated with families who chose not to proceed, citing potential risks, but further discussions were needed for clarity on their decision.

Another volunteer expressed concerns about increased dangers due to militarized borders, leading to higher risks with more individuals on a single boat.

The charity patrol group witnessed four boats departing the French coastline on Monday morning.

In 2023, 29,437 migrants made the journey to the UK, marking a 36% decrease from the record-breaking 45,774 arrivals in 2022.

France ‘Complicit’ in Crossings Claims MP

During Home Office questions on Monday, Reform UK’s Lee Anderson accused the French of being complicit in facilitating small boat crossings.

The MP for Ashfield stated in the Commons, “Over 500 illegal migrants were escorted into our waters by the French authorities through six boats on Saturday and reports of another four today. Does the home secretary agree it’s time to halt payments to the French until they stop enabling this illicit activity?”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper responded, highlighting the extreme dangers of these boat crossings, the profit-maximizing practices of criminal gangs, the urgent need for increased border security, and the necessity for collaboration with European and international agencies to combat trafficking and prevent boats from reaching the French coast.

This report includes contributions from PA Media.