Wimereux:Three men and a woman were among those killed in a boat carrying 110 people off the beach in Wimereux, local government agencies told AFP.
“After hitting the sand, the boat took him to the sea. Then there was an accident in the overcrowded boat, which resulted in the death of several people,” he said.
According to an AFP reporter, the police cordoned off the beach on Tuesday morning. Two ambulance helicopters were deployed nearby.
Migrants tried to cross when the sea was calm, but the temperature was above zero (32 Fahrenheit).
It is the latest in a spate of tragedies as migrants from the Middle East and Africa try to make the perilous sea crossing to hope for a better future in Britain.
At least 15 people have died trying to reach British shores so far this year, according to AFP. People sought to board British ships in inland waterways to avoid higher controls on the French coast.
British officials processed 5,373 migrants who landed on beaches in southeast England in the first three months of this year, according to the Home Office.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government is under intense pressure to reduce the number of crossings, especially after Britain announced a tougher approach to immigration as it leaves the European Union.
“This tragedy must stop. I will not accept the status quo where many people die,” said British Home Secretary James Cleverley in X.
“This government is doing everything we can to stop this trade, stop the boats and ultimately disrupt the business model of the bad guys who bring the pirate gangs, so they no longer put lives at risk.”
News of the latest migrant death comes after the British government’s plan to deport asylum seekers in Rwanda cleared its last hurdle in parliament on Monday.
The United Nations and Europe’s top legal body have called on Britain to scrap the plan.
