Another migrant has lost his life trying to cross the English Channel, marking the second death in two days amid the ongoing crisis.
According to a report by GB News, Authorities confirmed that the body of a Sudanese man was discovered on Sangatte beach near Calais on Friday morning, just hours after a separate incident claimed the life of a man in his 30s.
The deceased Sudanese man was part of a group of around 70 migrants who attempted the perilous journey from Sangatte beach to the UK in a small boat early Friday. The circumstances around his death remain unclear, though French prosecutors have opened an investigation.
This latest tragedy comes on the heels of a harrowing event off the coast of Dunkirk in the early morning hours of the same day. A small boat carrying over 60 migrants began sinking five miles from Dunkirk, spurring a dramatic rescue effort. One man was pulled unconscious from the water and later died despite life-saving efforts from first responders.
A second unconscious man was airlifted to a hospital in Calais in critical condition. The search for two others believed to have been aboard the vessel was called off late Friday without success, bringing the suspected death toll to three.
Authorities also arrested a man accused of piloting the doomed dinghy. He could face manslaughter charges as prosecutors investigate whether criminal networks of smugglers are behind the recent string of deadly incidents.
The tragedies have refocused attention on the migration crisis in the English Channel, which has intensified in recent years. Over 40,000 migrants crossed the Channel in 2022 alone, a record high that experts expect to be exceeded again in 2023.
Desperate Journeys Meet Treacherous Conditions
Migrants fleeing poverty, persecution and war in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia pay smugglers thousands of euros for the chance to reach the UK shores. But the trips across the busy shipping lane in overcrowded, unseaworthy vessels have proven extremely dangerous.
At least 51 migrants died last year in the Channel, and over 200 in total since 2018, making it one of the deadliest migration routes in the world. Maritime experts say the latest incidents also highlight the inherent risks of crossing the Channel in winter, when harsh winds and frigid water temperatures increase the chances of catastrophe even further.
Yet each new tragedy has done little to deter migrants determined to start new lives in Britain. Hours after the recoveries on Friday morning, French authorities intercepted seven more small boats carrying 292 migrants. All were brought safely to the processing center in Dover.
An Intensifying Humanitarian Crisis
The deaths have intensified criticism over the handling of the crisis by both British and French authorities. Human rights groups argue that restrictive migration policies are forcing migrants to resort to extremely dangerous methods of crossing at the hands of merciless smuggling networks.
They have called for safer, more humane pathways for asylum seekers, as well as greater cooperation between the UK and France on dismantling smuggler networks and preventing loss of life at sea.
But political leaders have continued to emphasize border security and harsher penalties for illegal crossings. The crisis thus rages on, claiming more victims but with no end in sight. Until the root causes driving migrants to risk their lives at sea are addressed, the Channel seems likely to remain a graveyard for those seeking refuge in Britain.
