Migrant Dies in English Channel Attempt as Search Operations Continue
Incident marks the third reported death in the Channel this year amid ongoing migrant crossings.
A migrant has died after being pulled from the water while attempting to cross the English Channel, according to the French coastguard.
The incident occurred near Equihen-Plage, northern France, shortly after 9 a.m. on Wednesday, prompting a rescue operation following reports of individuals struggling in the water after attempting to board a dinghy.
The boat had reportedly set off from a location south of Hardelot-Plage about an hour earlier.
Two individuals were rescued from the water, one of whom was suffering from hypothermia, while the other was in cardiac arrest.
Both were transported to Boulogne-sur-Mer for medical treatment, though the individual who experienced cardiac arrest was later declared dead despite efforts to save their life.
Search operations were subsequently launched in the Pas-de-Calais region to identify any additional individuals who may have entered the sea.
This incident brings the total number of migrant deaths recorded by the French coastguard in the Channel to three this year.
The International Organisation for Migration has indicated that additional deaths have occurred, linked to ongoing attempts by migrants to travel from mainland Europe to the United Kingdom.
In response to the tragedy, Steve Valdez-Symonds, the refugee and migrant rights director at Amnesty International UK, expressed devastation over the loss of life, advocating for the UK Government to pursue arrangements with France to facilitate safer crossing options for refugees, rather than merely increasing deterrence measures.
Earlier in March, the UK and France signed a 'road-map' agreement aimed at enhancing collaboration to combat people smuggling operations.
A spokesperson from the UK Government acknowledged the incident and confirmed that the French authorities are leading the response and investigation.
According to the latest figures from the Home Office, there have been no migrant arrivals across the English Channel in the past week, though 261 migrants successfully made the crossing on March 10, bringing the provisional total for the year to 4,395.
A spokesperson for the Home Office stated: 'We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.
The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay.
We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.'
The incident occurred near Equihen-Plage, northern France, shortly after 9 a.m. on Wednesday, prompting a rescue operation following reports of individuals struggling in the water after attempting to board a dinghy.
The boat had reportedly set off from a location south of Hardelot-Plage about an hour earlier.
Two individuals were rescued from the water, one of whom was suffering from hypothermia, while the other was in cardiac arrest.
Both were transported to Boulogne-sur-Mer for medical treatment, though the individual who experienced cardiac arrest was later declared dead despite efforts to save their life.
Search operations were subsequently launched in the Pas-de-Calais region to identify any additional individuals who may have entered the sea.
This incident brings the total number of migrant deaths recorded by the French coastguard in the Channel to three this year.
The International Organisation for Migration has indicated that additional deaths have occurred, linked to ongoing attempts by migrants to travel from mainland Europe to the United Kingdom.
In response to the tragedy, Steve Valdez-Symonds, the refugee and migrant rights director at Amnesty International UK, expressed devastation over the loss of life, advocating for the UK Government to pursue arrangements with France to facilitate safer crossing options for refugees, rather than merely increasing deterrence measures.
Earlier in March, the UK and France signed a 'road-map' agreement aimed at enhancing collaboration to combat people smuggling operations.
A spokesperson from the UK Government acknowledged the incident and confirmed that the French authorities are leading the response and investigation.
According to the latest figures from the Home Office, there have been no migrant arrivals across the English Channel in the past week, though 261 migrants successfully made the crossing on March 10, bringing the provisional total for the year to 4,395.
A spokesperson for the Home Office stated: 'We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.
The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay.
We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.'
