The tragic death of at least three illegal migrants attempting to cross the English Channel on Sunday has made 2024 the deadliest year on record for migrant fatalities since the crisis began.
The migrants, traveling in a small boat operated by people-smugglers, died while trying to board in the cold waters near Sangatte, close to Calais. Another 45 individuals were treated for hypothermia on the beach, with four requiring hospitalization, the BBC reported.
The latest deaths bring the total to 77 migrant fatalities in the Channel this year, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), marking the deadliest year since 2018. MP Pierre-Henri Dumont warned, “Any attempt to cross the Channel in this way is very, very dangerous – but at this time of year, it is even more deadly.” He added that even brief exposure to the freezing waters could lead to death, despite swift emergency response.
The surge in crossings over the Christmas period, with 1,485 migrants successfully making it across, pushed the total number of illegal crossings to over 150,000 since the crisis began. This year alone, more than 36,000 people have crossed, up from 29,437 last year.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government had promised to curb the flow of illegal migrants by targeting the smuggling gangs. However, since taking power in July, over 22,000 crossings have occurred, surpassing the total from 2018, 2019, and 2020 combined. A Home Office spokesman stated, “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security,” emphasizing the need to dismantle people-smuggling networks. Yet, reports from The Times reveal these gangs continue to operate openly, advertising their “package deals” on platforms like TikTok, offering housing and jobs to migrants once they reach Britain.
