Mogadishu (AX) — Tragedy struck as a two-year-old Somali boy was counted among four migrants who perished while daring to traverse the English Channel from France to the UK last Saturday, reported French officials. The overcrowded boat, jam-packed with nearly 90 souls, became a suffocating trap for the little boy, underscoring the perilous nature of human smuggling in these waterways.
The boat, carrying the young child, experienced engine trouble, sparking chaos aboard. French rescue teams acted swiftly, responding to the SOS and managing to rescue 15 migrants from the clutches of danger.
Bruno Retailleau, the French Interior Minister, denounced these unscrupulous traffickers, asserting they have “blood on their hands” and promised to intensify efforts to thwart these criminal syndicates thriving on such treacherous journeys.
Echoing this sentiment, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper lambasted the criminal networks, deeming the fatalities “horrific” and highlighting, “these ruthless smuggler gangs orchestrate perilous crossings with zero regard for human life—a grim trade in humanity.”
The toddler, who entered the world in Germany to a Somali mother, was tragically torn from his family before traffickers forced him onto the ill-fated vessel, explained Pas-de-Calais Prefect Jacques Billant. Despite valiant rescue attempts and medical aid from France’s maritime emergency teams, the child was declared deceased on the rescue ship, Abeille Normandie.
On that same day, in a distinct yet similarly grim incident, three adult migrants succumbed on another overcrowded craft with 71 people aboard. It’s believed they were either crushed or drowned as the compromised vessel began sinking, according to Billant.
In response to these calamities, law enforcement has launched criminal investigations, intent on dismantling the smuggler networks. Officials caution against the trend of increasingly overloaded, ramshackle boats, which now dangerously ferry around 65 individuals per trip.
French authorities have bolstered their measures to avert more disasters, thwarting 31 attempted crossings between Thursday and Saturday. In this timeframe, approximately 250 migrants were saved at sea by French maritime personnel.
The grim tally of rising fatalities sharply highlights the extreme hazards awaiting migrants seeking to reach Britain via the English Channel. An estimated 51 migrants have already perished in 2024, attempting this fraught journey. Since 2018, the International Organization for Migration estimates over 194 casualties in these waters.
Edited by: Ali Musa
Axadle international–Monitoring
