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Tag: English Channel

  • Several people have died trying to cross the English Channel from France, authorities say

    Several people have died trying to cross the English Channel from France, authorities say

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    Several people died early Sunday during a failed attempt to cross the English Channel from northern France, French authorities said.

    A rescue operation is underway, and survivors of the tragedy have been taken to the sports hall in the northern town of Ambleteuse, according to a statement from the prefecture of Pas-de-Calais region.

    The incident Saturday occurred nearly two weeks after a boat carrying migrants ripped apart in the English Channel as they attempted to reach Britain from northern France, plunging dozens into the treacherous waterway and leaving 13 dead, officials said.

    On Saturday, French coast guard and navy vessels rescued 200 people from the treacherous waters in the Pas-de-Calais area, according to a report sent by French maritime authorities in charge of the Channel and the North Sea.

    They said they observed 18 attempts of boat departures from France to Britain on Saturday.

    Before Saturday’s accident, at least 43 migrants had died or gone missing while trying to cross to the U.K. this year, according to the International Organization for Migration.

    In July, four migrants died while attempting the crossing on an inflatable boat that capsized and punctured. Five others, including a child, died in another attempt in April. Five dead were recovered from the sea or found washed up along a beach after a migrant boat ran into difficulties in the dark and winter cold of January.

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  • At least 61 people including children killed in 'tragic shipwreck'

    At least 61 people including children killed in 'tragic shipwreck'

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    AT least 61 people, including children, have been killed in a “tragic shipwreck” after a boat carrying 86 migrants left Libya.

    The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Libya made the announcement on social media on Saturday.

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    At least 61 people are thought to have died in the tragedy. Image shows an overcrowded wooden boat off the coast of Libya in November 2021 (file photo)Credit: AP

    The organisation quoted survivors as saying the boat, carrying around 86 people, departed the Libyan city of Zwara.

    The tragedy comes after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned that illegal migration to Europe could “overwhelm” the continent.

    He suggested a change was needed in international law to tackle the issue.

    At a meeting with Italian conservatives in Rome, Mr Sunak said “enemies” could use immigration as a “weapon” by “deliberately driving people to our shores to try to destabilise our society”.

    During the day-long trip to Rome, Mr Sunak met Italian Prime Minster Giorgia Meloni, with whom he has developed a strong partnership.

    They also held talks with Albania‘s prime minister Edi Rama, another ally in their efforts to crack down on illegal migration.

    Number 10 said that after the talks Mr Sunak and Ms Meloni had agreed to co-fund a project that would see the two countries “promote and assist the voluntary return” of migrants currently stuck in Tunisia.

    Mr Sunak said: “If we do not tackle this problem, the numbers will only grow. It will overwhelm our countries and our capacity to help those who actually need our help the most.

    “If that requires us to update our laws and lead an international conversation to amend the post-war frameworks around asylum, then we must do that.

    “Because if we don’t fix this problem now, the boats will keep coming and more lives will be lost at sea.”

    Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk was among those at the Atreju event, which has been attended by former Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon and Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban in the past.

    A migrant died in the Channel yesterday, with Downing Street calling it a “stark reminder” of just how dangerous the crossings are.

    A second migrant was left in a critical condition when a boat sank in the English Channel just after midnight yesterday with 66 rescued and taken to safety.

    The Home Secretary James Cleverly said the incident which took place five miles off the northern coast “horrific reminder of the people smugglers’ brutality”.

    More than 29,000 migrants have arrived in the UK this year after crossing the Channel.

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    Jon Rogers

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  • Death toll in Jersey fire rises to 5; 4 still missing

    Death toll in Jersey fire rises to 5; 4 still missing

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    LONDON — The number of people killed in an apartment building explosion and fire on the English Channel Island of Jersey has risen to five, and four others are still unaccounted for, police said Sunday.

    Robin Smith, chief of Jersey Police, said specialist teams were continuing a painstaking search of the area in St. Helier, the island’s capital, and warned it was likely to be weeks before investigations are completed.

    “There are still a number of residents, we are working on the assumption of four, that remain unaccounted for,” he said. “Their families were made aware of this announcement before other islanders. They continue to be supported by special officers.”

    A blast destroyed a three-story apartment block in St. Helier at about 4 a.m. on Saturday. Smith said the fire was “likely” caused by a gas explosion, but that has not yet been confirmed.

    Smith said the fire service had been called to the area the night before after residents reported smelling gas. He said police would investigate “whether or not there was a safety issue” with natural gas lines.

    Authorities said Sunday that the search mission was now a “recovery operation” and they no longer expect to find anyone alive.

    “We have moved to a recovery stage, it’s a moment to think about the families,” Smith said.

    Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands, is a self-governing dependency of the United Kingdom located off the coast of northern France in the English Channel.

    Gas supplier Island Energy said it is working with the fire service to “understand exactly what has happened.”

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  • France and U.K. sign agreement to curb Channel crossings

    France and U.K. sign agreement to curb Channel crossings

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    PARIS — The interior ministers of France and Britain on Monday signed a joint agreement to try to curb migration across the English channel — a regular source of friction between the two countries.

    The British government has agreed to pay up some 72.2 million euros to France in 2022-2023 in exchange for France increasing its security presence by 40% across sea access points on the coast.

    This represents 350 more gendarmes and police guarding beaches in Calais and Dunkirk.

    French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and British Home Secretary Suella Braverman signed the agreement in Paris.

    The pact contains proposals to fight crime across the regular migration routes, with the two ministers agreeing that their countries would harvest information from intercepted migrants to help tackle smuggling networks.

    “Technological and human resources” including drones could be used on the French coast to better intercept boats, the agreement adds.

    No specific target for boat interceptions was included in the agreement.

    Britain has said that over 40,000 migrants have landed on English beaches this year alone.

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