Tragedy on the journey across the "strait of death" from France to England.

Người Đưa Tin•15/01/2024

At least five people died in the icy waters off a beach in northern France early on January 14th as they attempted to cross the English Channel to reach the United Kingdom.

The deceased were found near a beach in the town of Wimereux after their boat “was reported in distress nearby” at around 1:45 a.m. local time on January 14 and some passengers attempted to disembark, the French maritime authority said in a statement.

This is the latest in a series of tragedies in recent years. The deaths and rescue efforts in the darkness and freezing cold of winter once again highlight the dangers of the sea voyage for migrants from France to England. It also shows the inability of governments on both sides of the "strait of death" to prevent these reckless attempts to cross the sea.

The dream is swept away by the water.

More than 30 people have been rescued, two of whom are in critical condition, the statement said. The statement further detailed that one person was found unconscious and hospitalized at the French port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, while another suffered from "severe hypothermia."

According to maritime authorities, more than 30 people were rescued, but an anonymous source told AFP that around 70 migrants were brought in by about 3 a.m., including "entire families with children, some very young."

"Some survivors did not stay and told us they wanted to go to Dunkirk train station to get to the shelter in Armentieres," the source added.

World - Tragedy on the journey across the — A French military vessel patrols the English Channel on January 14, 2024, as seen from Wimereux beach in northern France. Local newspaper La Voix du Nord reported that around 70 people attempted to board a small boat, and dozens more were pulled from the frigid water in an overnight rescue effort in Wimereux. Photo: Getty Images

The French coast guard has deployed several vessels in the area to continue patrolling the seas and searching for any remaining people adrift.

French authorities have not identified the deceased, nor have they stated their country of origin or the cause of death. It is unclear what difficulties the ship was experiencing. Local prosecutors have opened an investigation.

The French maritime authority said sea conditions had improved after days of bad weather, but water temperatures in the English Channel were around 9 degrees Celsius. They also noted that the English Channel is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, with more than 400 commercial vessels passing through daily.

"This is a particularly dangerous area, especially in the middle of winter, for overloaded, precarious vessels," said the agency responsible for the English Channel and the North Sea.

According to the French maritime authority, a tugboat hired by the French Navy was unable to reach the migrant boat on January 14 due to shallow water, but they deployed a sturdy inflatable boat to rescue some of the migrants at sea and drop them off on the beach. Other migrants were rescued by French security forces or naval helicopters.

Dozens of people died last year while trying to cross the area, French authorities said. In recent years, 2021 saw the highest number of fatalities at 27 after their boat capsized during a single crossing.

Many of those who risk their lives to reach the UK are fleeing economic hardship and violence in their home countries in the Middle East or Africa, or seeking "greener pastures" for their dreams of a better life.

They typically congregate in small, makeshift camps on the northern French coast before attempting to cross the English Channel in small boats or sneaking into trucks via the Channel Tunnel.

A pressing issue

According to the UK Home Office, attempts to cross the sea by sea fell by 36% last year, with more than 26,000 such attempts thwarted.

Although the incident on January 14th occurred on the French side of the waterway and the British Coast Guard was not involved, the tragedy happened at a time when the issue of migrants arriving in Britain by smallboats is increasingly prominent in the country's political messaging.

This past week, British lawmakers prepared to debate a controversial bill that would attempt to reinstate the government's plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, a practice that the UK Supreme Court ruled illegal last year.

The Conservative government of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to stop migrants arriving by smallboats, which represent only a small fraction of asylum seekers arriving in the country – and an even smaller fraction of the total number of migrants in Britain – but have become a thorny issue.

Conservatives view deterrence as one of their top priorities ahead of this year's elections. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron told local media on January 14th: “It’s heartbreaking to hear about it, but it just shows we have to stop the boats, we have to put an end to this illegal trafficking of people.”

British and French authorities agreed last year that Britain would pay France more than $600 million over three years to help pay for drones, a new detention center, and hundreds of additional police officers to patrol beaches in northern France. This is one of several agreements the two countries on either side of the "strait of death" have reached in recent years in an attempt to reduce the number of boat crossings.

On January 14, Mr. Cameron stressed that “ultimately, the only way to stop these boats is to break the human trafficking pattern,” by ensuring that the route from France to England “does not work.”

However, human rights groups argue that the current British refugee model is failing and causing significant human losses.

Sonya Sceats, chief executive of Freedom From Torture, a charity that supports asylum seekers in the UK, says that survivors and refugees are paying the price for the UK government's restrictive policies.

"We desperately need a fair and compassionate refugee system," said Ms. Sceats .

Minh Duc (According to NY Times, Euronews)

Source