A dozen migrants drowned in the English Channel – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries

– A new tragedy has occurred in our area. A boat with 70 people on board has sunk not far from our coast, writes the mayor of the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer, Frédéric Cuvillier, on Facebook. – The deadliest this year Local newspaper Voix du Nord writes that many are dead and an unknown number injured. The rescue operation is still ongoing. Three helicopters and several boats are participating in the search for two missing people, write French newspapers. The mayor of the town of Le Portel, near where the accident happened, says that there was a hole in the bottom of the boat. – Only around nine of those on board had life jackets, says Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. He says the travelers were squeezed together in a small boat that was less than seven meters long. Among the dead are several minors and ten women. One of them was pregnant. Many set out in poor boats from the French side of the English Channel. Photo: DENIS CHARLET / AFP A little over three weeks ago two people drowned and in mid-July four drowned trying to cross the channel. 20,000 across the channel According to figures from the British authorities, more than 20,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel this year. It is not known how many have set out on the journey, but have not arrived. Many migrants and refugees set out in wretched boats that cannot withstand the crossing to the UK. The British government has long been working on measures to reduce the growing number of asylum seekers. France and Britain have often disagreed on how to handle the influx of migrants. But at the latest last week, President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer met to discuss various measures. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin visited Boulogne-sur-Mer this afternoon. There advocated a clear agreement with the British. – We need a migration agreement between Great Britain and the EU. Those traveling now are people from central parts of Africa who want to go to the UK. (..) We need to work together to prevent such accidents from happening, said Darmanin. French police at the reception center after the accident. Published 03/09/2024, at 15.59 Updated 03.09.2024, at 20.28



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