Some 36,000 migrants attempted to reach England in 2023 by illegally crossing the Channel from the French coast, a figure down by more than 30% over one year, the maritime prefecture said on Friday, which counted 12 deaths on the route. past year.
Of these 36,000 people, 4,900 were
“saved at sea with the means of the coastguard function and the SNSM (National Society for Rescue at Sea)”
, the others having continued on their way to reach the British coasts, said the maritime prefect of the Channel and the North Sea, Marc Véran.
“We deplore 12 deaths
,” he added during a press conference.
According to the maritime prefect, who recalls that in 2022, 52,000 people had attempted the crossing, this drop of more than 30% is
“to be credited to the action of the internal security forces who save lives pre-emptively and prevent the flow of entering”
.
“A weather forecast that can deceive”
The maritime prefecture's figures agree with the British government's report, according to which 29,437 migrants reached the English coast illegally in 2023, compared to 45,774 in 2022. The 2023 report, however, remains the second highest ever recorded, higher than that of 2021 (28.526).
On the outlook for 2024, the prefect notes that
“these crossings are increasingly dangerous”
, because they are made further south of Pas-de-Calais,
“with weather that can be deceptive”
.
“And also because the small boats are more and more loaded, they are 13 m boats loaded with 90 people
,” he underlined.
The prefect also highlighted
“something new”
in recent months:
“Certain migrants in distress do not accept our assistance.
They accept it as a last resort because their priority is to go to Britain
.
On January 14, four migrants died near a beach in Wimereux (North), while trying to reach a boat in freezing water to cross the Channel.