A tragic incident unfolded off the coast of France when a boat carrying asylum seekers sank in the English Channel, leading to the death of a four-month-old infant. French authorities reported that the boat, attempting to reach the United Kingdom, sank on Thursday night near the town of Wissant. Sixty-five people were rescued and taken to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, while the baby, likely from Iraqi Kurdistan, was among those who perished.
The boat carried asylum seekers from countries including Iran, Iraq, Albania, and Eritrea. French prosecutors have launched an investigation into the incident.
This marks the latest in a series of deadly crossings in 2024, bringing the death toll to at least 52 this year — the highest since 2018. Despite efforts by French and British governments to curb the flow of migrants across the Channel, the number of asylum seekers attempting the perilous journey has continued to rise. More than 26,000 people have arrived in the UK via small boats this year.
In response to the growing crisis, European Union leaders have called for new legislation to “speed up returns” of asylum seekers from the 27-nation bloc. This comes as France’s right-wing Prime Minister Michel Barnier promised stricter immigration policies and a crackdown on human traffickers. Additionally, the UK government has scrapped its previous plan to deport migrants to Rwanda, shifting focus to finding new solutions to manage the influx of asylum seekers.
As migration continues to dominate the political agenda, EU leaders have suggested exploring controversial methods, such as setting up return centres outside the EU, a move recently tested by Italy with two facilities in Albania.
