Two female Sudanese asylum seekers have died trying to cross the English Channel in the early hours of Sunday, off the coast of Boulogne. One was reportedly a 16-year-old girl, the other a woman in her 20s. They were found dead in the boat, which ran aground on the beach of Neufchâtel-Hardelot, according to Christophe Marx, the secretary general of the Pas-de-Calais Prefecture.
There were about 82 people on board. Marx said the victims were found “dead inside the boat.” Three survivors are in critical condition with burns from a mix of engine fuels and sea water. Fourteen others have less severe injuries, five of whom were taken to hospital. A major rescue operation was launched when dozens tried to scramble onto the dinghy, described as a taxi boat. Seventeen people were rescued at sea and taken to Boulogne-sur-Mer; another 65 stayed on board until the boat ran aground. The engine failed, the boat drifted, and the fatalities and injuries followed.
Today’s deaths bring this year’s Channel crossing death toll to at least eight, including two deaths a month ago and four more three weeks ago. Last year, at least 29 people died trying to cross. This raises awkward questions about the latest three-year deal between the UK and France, signed last month. The UK is paying France £662 million to stop small boats and prevent loss of life. France is increasing police and gendarme patrols, while the UK is increasing payments by 40%. Reports indicate French patrols will only intervene on boats with fewer than 20 people, citing the risk to life if they stop severely overcrowded ones.
The Maritime Prefect for the Channel and the North Sea said that, given the structural fragility of very overcrowded boats, French authorities don’t force people to board rescue vessels to avoid endangering lives in case of shipwreck. GB News reports over 550 people crossed in small boats this weekend, though Sunday’s official figures aren’t out yet. Government data confirms 325 people crossed in six boats on Saturday.
One asylum seeker returned to France under the “one in one out” deal told the Guardian he was in a French government hostel with many families, and that Home Office officials recently warned people not to cross. Hours later, some families left and are thought to have reached the UK earlier this weekend. Home Office sources wouldn’t comment on operational matters, adding their priority is to break people smugglers’ business model.
Before these latest deaths, an open letter from over 70 refugee NGOs - coordinated by the Humans for Rights Network and Project Play, with signatories including Médecins Sans Frontières, the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, and Safe Passage International - called for a public inquiry into how UK money is being spent on stopping boats. A Home Office spokesperson said, “We are deeply saddened to hear about the deaths in French waters today. Every death in the Channel is a tragedy and a stark reminder of the dangers posed by criminal gangs exploiting vulnerable people for profit. We will continue working relentlessly with the French and our partners overseas to prevent these perilous journeys.”