Four migrants die attempting to cross English Channel while 60 others are rescued
Four migrants die attempting to cross English Channel while 60 others are rescued
GETTY
Four migrants have died after attempting to cross the English Channel from France overnight.
Local authorities appeared to confirm to French outlets that another 60 migrants were rescued.
The incident took place off Boulogne sur Mer on France's northern coast.
A French navy patrol boat arrived at the scene after being alerted about several migrants falling into the Channel.
Four migrants lost their lives in the Channel
GETTYThe Channel crossing death toll now stands at 19 this year so far.
Five migrants died on April 23 while also trying to make the perilous 21-mile journey.
Another five died during a separate incident in January.
A French coastguard spokesperson stressed it was still collecting verified information for the latest incident and would not provide further comment at this time.
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A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dungeness, KentPAThe incident comes after French police were separately photographed standing by as Channel crossing migrants embarked on the perilous 21-mile journey to British shores from Gravelines in Normandy.
The increased death toll will put further pressure on the UK Government to deal with the crisis.
Despite Labour's criticism of the Tories' handling of the situation, almost 500 people reached the UK since Labour's 172-seat landslide victory.
Home Office figures show 419 people made the journey in six boats on Tuesday, taking the provisional total for 2024 to date to 14,058.
A previous photo of a French policeman watching migrants on a dinghyGETTYThe number is 10 per cent higher than the figure recorded this time last year and six per cent up on the same period in 2022.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper recently announced the establishment of a new Border Security Command.
Cooper claimed Labour would “tackle the root of the problem” by targeting the criminal smuggling gangs “making millions out of small boat crossings, undermining our border security and putting lives at risk”.
Speaking at the Nato summit in Washington before this morning's incident, Starmer added: “This a command that will lead on smashing the gangs and as I’ve said many times before, having been myself part of operations that have taken down gangs – police and prosecutors across borders gathering evidence and intelligence, sharing data, having an arrest strategy, a prosecution strategy, an evidence strategy has successfully brought down many gangs, including terrorist gangs.
“I do not accept these are the only gangs that can’t be brought down.”