Channel drownings fail to deter desperate migrants

A tragic event occurred recently in the English Channel, where several migrants lost their lives while attempting to cross to the UK. Despite this heartbreaking incident, many others remain undeterred and continue to risk their lives in search of a better future. On a recent morning, a group of individuals, including women and a young girl, waded through waist-high water to reach an inflatable boat. The smuggling gangs, as usual, did not hesitate to launch more overcrowded and flimsy boats from the French coast. A BBC team observed one such packed inflatable craft heading north, close to the shore, early on Wednesday morning. Just an hour later, they spotted a similar boat, likely the same one, trying to pick up more passengers near a beach known for smuggling activities close to Wimereux. French police rushed to intercept the group before they could board, but they arrived just moments too late. The boat departed with over 40 people on board, many of whom were standing or clinging to the sides. In the meantime, local authorities took action by sending bulldozers and cleaning teams to dismantle the makeshift migrant camp outside Calais, which had been used by many of those who were on the capsized boat. A 23-year-old Eritrean man, who requested to remain anonymous, expressed his distress, saying, 'I’m stressed. I knew some of the dead. The police have now taken my tent and all my things. ' French officials have indicated that most, if not all, of the deceased were from Eritrea, a country facing significant turmoil. Many young men have fled Eritrea to escape mandatory military service. The Eritrean man shared, 'I’ve been waiting here a year. I don’t have money to pay the smugglers. It happens all the time – the drownings. ' Despite the risks, he remains determined to cross to the UK, believing he can find work there. Further south, French fishermen who participated in the rescue operation returned to the port of Boulogne with their daily catch. Several fishermen recounted their experiences of pulling bodies from the water, having arrived at the scene less than half an hour after the boat had disintegrated, leaving those on board struggling in the cold, choppy waters. Bruno Hecquet, one of the fishermen, remarked, 'The less we have to talk about that, the less we have to think about it. ' Captain Gaetan Baillet expressed sadness over the situation but shrugged when asked who was responsible for the increasing death toll. Dany Patoux, a representative from a local migrant charity called Osmos 62, stated that while the smuggling gangs are clearly to blame, the growing militarization of the French coast is pushing these gangs to take even greater risks, putting the lives of their paying passengers in jeopardy. 'All this extra security on our coastline… the buggies and drones and helicopters… is achieving nothing but to provoke more deaths,' Patoux argued, suggesting that the increased police presence forces more people to cram onto each boat as many inflatables are being destroyed by the authorities. While the general sentiment regarding the migrant crisis appears to be somber and largely sympathetic towards those attempting to cross the Channel in small boats, some individuals warn that frustration with the rising death toll is beginning to shift public opinion. Olivier Barbarin, the mayor of Le Portel, stated, 'The UK must completely close its border or do something to make the crossing safer. ' He emphasized, 'We can’t keep exposing to such risk all these freedom-loving men and women, who’ve fled war and whose one desire is to reach England.