A migrant recovered unconscious by emergency services off the coast of Calais while trying to reach England aboard a makeshift boat died this Wednesday, and two others are still missing, we learned from the maritime prefecture.
Wednesday afternoon,
“a boat was reported in difficulty”
and the Gris Nez (Cross) Regional Operational Surveillance and Rescue Center then
“initiated means to arrive in the area”
, indicated the Maritime Prefecture of Manche and the North Sea (Prémar) to AFP.
“Around fifty migrants present on the boat were recovered and reported”
to the emergency services that
“three people were absent
,” added this source.
The search at sea
“began at that time”
.
A helicopter
“relocated these three people adrift, one of whom was already submerged
,” Prémar said in a press release.
The emergency services recovered
“a first person, unconscious”
who will be
“declared dead at the dock”
and
“the two other people reported could not be relocated”
, she added.
At this stage,
“we do not know the origin of the fall into the water
,” she detailed.
12 migrants lost their lives attempting the crossing in 2023
Five migrants died on the night of January 13 to 14 while trying to reach a boat in freezing water to cross the Channel, the first deadly tragedy of 2024 off the French coast.
Twelve migrants lost their lives in 2023 while attempting the crossing, according to Prémar.
In 2023, 29,437 migrants reached the English coast illegally, compared to 45,774 in 2022, a record year, according to figures from the British Interior Ministry.
About 20% are from Afghanistan.
Next come the Iranians, Turks, Eritreans and Iraqis.