He had attempted a dangerous crossing.
A migrant died near Calais while trying to reach England hidden in the trailer of a truck on Saturday, we learned Monday from the Boulogne-sur-Mer public prosecutor's office.
On January 27 in the Transmark activity zone, near Calais, “a truck driver intrigued by noises in the trailer of his truck which was transporting metal bars” discovered “a seriously injured migrant”, who then died, detailed prosecutor Guirec Le Bras.
According to a forensic doctor called for initial findings, “death could have been due to a crushing phenomenon linked to the cargo,” he added.
An autopsy must be carried out as part of the investigation into manslaughter.
Yesterday a young man died.
They were trying to reach the United Kingdom hidden in a truck.
He had crossed the world alone, he had no smuggler, he died in France.
He should never have died.
A gathering in his memory will take place this evening in Calais.
1/3
— Utopia 56 (@Utopia_56) January 28, 2024
“A young man is dead.
He was trying to reach the United Kingdom hidden in a truck.
He had crossed the world alone, he had no smuggler, he died in France.
He should never have died,” wrote the Utopia 56 association on
In mid-January, five migrants lost their lives while trying to reach a boat in freezing water to cross the Channel.
Numerous crossing attempts
Since the 1990s and after the closure in 2002 of a Red Cross center in Sangatte (Pas-de-Calais), hundreds of exiles have crowded into tents and makeshift shelters in Calais or Dunkirk to try to reach England, hidden in trucks or by boat.
Last year, 29,437 migrants reached English shores illegally, compared to 45,774 in 2022, according to figures from the British Home Office.
The 2023 toll, however, remains the second highest ever recorded, higher than that of 2021 with 28,526 illegal entries.
Around 20% of migrants who arrived on English shores in 2023 are from Afghanistan, according to data up to November 29.
Next come the Iranians (12%), then the Turks (11%), the Eritreans (9%) and the Iraqis (9%).
In March, London and Paris, the British and French capitals, reached an agreement providing for the UK to contribute more than €500 million over three years to strengthen surveillance on French beaches and combat smuggling gangs. .