PARIS – French authorities announced Sunday the discovery of a body on a beach frequently used as a launch point for migrants attempting the perilous sea crossing from northern France to the U.K. on flimsy inflatable boats.
The prefecture of northern France’s Pas-de-Calais region said the body of a young man, “very likely” a migrant who had tried to cross overnight, was found Sunday morning on the long sandy beaches south of the port town of Boulogne-sur-Mer. Attempts to cross and related deaths have surged in recent days. The prefecture had earlier reported that two women died Saturday during a separate crossing attempt.
In less than 48 hours since Friday night, authorities recorded 41 crossing attempts — some thwarted — along the Pas-de-Calais coastline, which police patrol day and night, the prefecture said in a statement. “The pressure along the coast is intense, with extremely high numbers of departures. Law enforcement is intervening under particularly difficult conditions, marked by hostility and sometimes violence from migrants determined to leave at all costs,” the statement said. French police, however, have also been observed using knives to slash and sink migrants’ inflatable boats, even when those on board offered little or no resistance.
The two women who died Saturday morning were found in cardiac arrest after a failed attempt to cross on a boat that drifted when its engine would not start, the prefecture said. Rescuers’ efforts to revive them were unsuccessful.
The British government is under mounting pressure to address the growing number of migrants — many from Africa and the Middle East seeking a better life in Europe — risking the dangerous journey across the Channel. Unauthorized migration has been a persistent issue for years but has climbed to the top of the political agenda in recent months.
More than 32,000 people have arrived in the U.K. by boat so far this year, official figures show. The total is expected to surpass last year’s 37,000. Dozens have died in recent years attempting to cross one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes in overcrowded dinghies.
Britain’s government hopes that a deal with French authorities — under which migrants entering the country without authorization would be deported back to France — will curb the crossings. (CNN)
