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Four Migrants Die and Dozens Rescued in Channel Crossing Attempt off Northern France
Four people died while attempting to board an inflatable boat for a crossing from northern France to the UK, amid strong currents. French authorities rescued 38 others, with some requiring medical treatment. The incident highlights ongoing risks in migrant sea journeys using taxi-boats.
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Four migrants, two men and two women, died on Thursday while trying to board an inflatable boat for a sea crossing from Equihen Beach in northern France to the UK. The prefect of the Pas-de-Calais region, François-Xavier Lauch, stated that strong currents carried them away during the embarkation.
Rescue operations saved 38 others, including one in medical emergency, though operations continued into the morning.
The boat was a taxi-boat, a small motorized inflatable vessel used by traffickers to pick up migrants from coastal rendezvous points. Migrants often wade into the sea, sometimes up to their torsos, to reach these boats, increasing risks from tides, weather, and currents. Police patrols on the beach, which spans dunes and a forest used for hiding, cannot fully prevent departures.
crossings and fatalities have increased in recent days.
On Wednesday, French maritime authorities rescued 102 people in two operations. Last week, two people died in a similar incident off the coast north of Calais. Authorities reported 37 people receiving hospital treatment after Thursday's event, while approximately 30 others proceeded to the UK.
The Guardian noted at least 42 rescued off the coast of Boulogne, though other sources specified 38. Campaign groups attribute the shift to taxi-boats to intensified French police efforts, including puncturing inflatable boats to prevent launches.
typically depart empty from secluded coastal spots and collect migrants from beaches, unlike self-launched inflatables.
An Associated Press reporter observed such a scene on Wednesday in Malo-les-Bains near Dunkirk, where migrants, including adults carrying children, waded to board offshore vessels. These boats may pick up additional people en route, depending on conditions. The Pas-de-Calais region remains a primary departure area for Channel crossings.
