Eight migrants remain missing after trying to cross from Belgium to the United Kingdom. A total of 14 people are believed to have set out from De Panne but were forced to swim back to shore when their boat capsized. Six of the migrants, who are from Afghanistan and Iran, were taken in custody on Tuesday.
With the United Kingdom poised to leave the European Union on January 31, the number of boat arrivals on the British coastline has dramatically risen in recent months.
British authorities say more than 60 migrants were picked up from five small boats as they tried to enter the country after crossing the English Channel. The vessels were intercepted over a seven hour period Tuesday morning. Some of the migrants said they were Iranian nationals, others said they were Iraqi or Uzbek.
Despite the encroaching winter weather and the news of the dangers of attempting to reach the UK in refrigerated containers, it appears that some migrants are still willing to risk everything in order to attempt to migrate from the French coast to the UK. Some are setting sail in small boats across the Channel and others are hoping that less frequented routes via Ireland might provide a route to Britain.
The truck in which 39 people were found dead in Britain on Wednesday originated from Belgium -- a major hub for migrants and people smugglers seeking to take advantage of the proximity to Britain. The shift in the UK-bound migrant route from France to Belgium came after the 2016 closure of the "jungle camp" in Calais that pushed migrants north.
The far-right group Britain First has launched a campaign called "Operation White Cliffs" to patrol Britain's beaches in a bid to stop migrants attempting to land on UK shores after crossing the Channel in small boats. Local anti-racism campaigners have organized counter demonstrations and British authorities have meanwhile advised all citizens to avoid taking direct action and to leave that work to the authorities.
French police have evacuated at least 800 migrants from a makeshift tent camp that had sprung up outside a gym near the northern port city of Dunkirk last spring. A court had ruled that the camp in Grande-Synthe was becoming a health and security hazard. Many in the area fear, however, that there will be more migrant tent camps in the future.
A record number of 86 migrants were intercepted in the English Channel on Tuesday as they tried to cross from France to the UK in small boats. It was the highest known number of migrants to have attempted the crossing at the same time.
An Iraqi migrant who tried to swim across the English Channel from France to Britain has drowned. His body has been found off the Belgian coast.
French maritime authorities say they have rescued 22 migrants over the weekend who were trying to cross the English Channel, a relatively narrow strait between France and the UK with strong currents. The number of attempted crossings has spiked recently. Meanwhile, UK’s Prime Minister Johnson said Britain will send back migrants who cross the Channel illegally.
An Iranian migrant who fell into the water while trying to reach England has been declared missing presumed drowned. It could be the first recorded case of a migrant death while attempting to cross this dangerous sea, where several people have already disappeared, according to survivors and activists.
British and French campaigners are warning about the dangers of migrant Channel crossings after an Iranian woman who reportedly fell into the water while trying to reach England went missing last Saturday. It could be the first case of a migrant death in the Channel, a relatively narrow strait with strong currents. But according to testimonies of survivors and community activists, several people have already disappeared.