Record 973 Migrants Risk Death Crossing English Channel in One Day
Deadly Journey Sees Highest Daily Crossing of 2024
A staggering 973 migrants braved the perilous English Channel in 17 boats on Saturday, smashing this year’s daily record. This tops the previous high of 882 set just two months earlier on 18 June.
The surge comes amid grim news from French authorities, who confirmed four migrants died attempting the crossing — including a two-year-old boy reportedly trampled to death in chaos on board.
Engine Failures Spark Rescue Missions and Tragedy
Jacques Billant, prefect of Pas-de-Calais, revealed the French coastguard had to intervene after a boat carrying nearly 90 people suffered engine failure. Fifteen passengers including the young boy were transferred to a tow vessel. Despite frantic efforts from medics, the toddler was pronounced dead.
In another harrowing case, a separate vessel with 83 passengers also lost power. Three migrants were found unconscious — believed crushed and suffocated near the boat’s bottom.
Officials Condemn Smugglers Ignoring Human Lives
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau slammed the human traffickers responsible: “The people smugglers have the blood of these people on their hands. Our government will intensify the fight against these mafias profiting off these deadly crossings.”
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper echoed the outrage, calling the loss of lives “appalling” and condemning criminal smuggler gangs who “show no regard for human life.”
Fatalities Surge as Migrant Crisis Deepens
The death toll from Channel crossings has soared this year to 51, a sharp rise from just 12 in 2023, Billant confirmed.
Migrants rescued last weekend hailed from Eritrea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iran, Ethiopia, Libya, Syria, Egypt, Kuwait, and Iraq — underscoring the desperate global quest for a better life.
The Channel crisis continues to test UK and French border forces, who are ramping up efforts to crack down on smugglers and improve safety, but the deadly crossings keep coming.
