Three people, including a child, killed in Channel crossing incident

French Maritime Police Respond to Distress Call from Inflatable Dinghy

A distress call was received by French maritime police from an inflatable dinghy carrying 105 people off the coast of Wissant, a seaside village in northern France. The incident occurred on calm seas and involved a “taxi boat” that approached the beach to pick up migrants in shallow waters.

According to reports, all passengers on board requested rescue and were taken into care by authorities. The dinghy had not sunk during the incident. A rescue boat arrived at the port of Calais in mid-morning, where it began disembarking people rescued from the incident.

The French prefecture confirmed that three people, including a child, lost their lives during the attempt to cross the English Channel to the United Kingdom. This incident is part of a larger trend of migrants attempting to cross the Channel, with at least 29 reported fatalities last year and over 41,000 individuals making the journey.

French authorities have strengthened operations to prevent crossings in collaboration with the UK, including an increase in human, technological, and intelligence resources. A recent proposal by Reform UK to deploy naval vessels to intercept and return asylum seekers has sparked controversy, with France’s Ministry of the Interior stating that it would breach international law.

Source: Al Jazeera