The French Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and North Sea has reported a troubling rise in migrant deaths at sea since the start of the year. As of July 20, 2024, there have been seventeen deaths, including two missing persons. This is a stark increase from the twelve fatalities recorded throughout all of 2023.
The latest tragedy occurred on the night of July 18, when a Sudanese man died aboard a boat carrying 85 other passengers from Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan. French patrols managed to rescue the remaining migrants. Despite a stabilization in the number of boats setting sail over the past four years, the number of people per boat has surged. On average, boats now carry nearly 50 people, with some overcrowded vessels holding up to 80 individuals. Previously, boats would carry about 30 passengers.
The maritime prefecture attributes this rise in overcrowding to the smuggling networks’ profit-driven tactics. These networks often double or triple the number of people on boats designed to hold only ten. This dangerous practice significantly increases the risk of tragedies at sea.
Angèle Vettorello, a coordinator with the Utopia 56 association in Calais, notes that smugglers are not the sole cause of the problem. She points to intensified security policies on migration that have emerged since last summer. Increased police crackdowns on departure beaches have led to fewer boats leaving, which, in turn, forces smugglers to adapt by overcrowding the remaining vessels. Migrants are sometimes forced to board boats under tear gas, further exacerbating the dangers.
In recent months, there has been a disturbing new trend where migrants die from discomfort or trampling while crowded into makeshift boats. The Maritime Prefecture reports that some deaths are not due to drowning but due to the extreme overcrowding. Migrants are often forced to straddle inflatable tubes for hours to save space, and the conditions on board are dire.
On July 12, four migrants died, followed by another death on July 17. The boats involved were carrying between 60 and 70 people, causing the inflatable rafts to tear apart in the sea. Many of those onboard lacked essential life-saving equipment and were unable to swim, contributing to the fatalities.
Migrants now often attempt to cross the Channel from less common departure points such as Boulogne-sur-Mer, Le Touquet, or the Bay of Somme, rather than the more traditional routes from Calais or Dunkirk. This shift not only triples the travel time but also heightens the risk of hypothermia.
The personal stories behind these statistics are heartbreaking. On July 20, 2024, two young children, aged five and nine, crossed to England alone after their boat became too overcrowded to accommodate two more adults. Their parents, who had to remain behind, are expected to attempt the crossing again soon, risking their lives in the process.