Eight migrants die in Channel crossing attempt: French authorities

LILLE, France - Eight migrants died early on Sept 15 when their overcrowded vessel capsized while trying to cross the Channel from France to England, the French authorities said, less than two weeks after the deadliest such disaster in 2024.

The French and British governments have for years sought to stop the flow of migrants, who pay smugglers thousands of euros per head for the passage to England from France aboard small boats.

A police source told AFP that the accident occurred shortly after the boat embarked.

Regional prefect Jacques Billant is set to hold a news conference at 10am local time, his office said.

The maritime authorities said on Sept 14 that in recent days, there have been numerous attempts by migrants to make the perilous crossing in small boats, with 200 people rescued in 24 hours over Sept 13 and 14 alone.

At least 12 migrants, mostly from Eritrea, died off the northern French coast when their boat carrying dozens of people capsized earlier in September.

It was the deadliest such disaster in 2024, and brought to 37 the number of migrant deaths in the Channel, up from 12 in 2023.

More than 22,000 migrants have arrived in England by crossing the Channel since the beginning of 2024, according to British officials.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged this summer to strengthen cooperation in handling the surge in undocumented migrants.

The Channel crossings often prove perilous, and in November 2021, 27 migrants died when their boat capsized in the deadliest single such disaster to date.

The French authorities seek to stop migrants taking to the water but do not intervene once they are afloat except for rescue purposes, citing safety concerns. AFP