France Finds Migrant Body Near Boulogne-sur-Mer as Channel Crossings Surge

On Sunday France confirmed the discovery of a body on a beach near the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, which is used as one of the starting points for migrants attempting to cross the English Channel by inflatable boats from northern France to the United Kingdom.

The prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais region said a body of a young man, likely a migrant, was found who had been trying to cross the strait overnight. The information came from the beach near the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer.

In recent days the number of crossing attempts and related deaths has risen. Earlier the prefecture reported that on Saturday two women died during a separate attempt to cross the English Channel.

In less than 48 hours after Friday evening the authorities logged 41 crossing attempts along the Pas-de-Calais coast. The coast is patrolled by day and night to reduce risks and respond to the growing migrant influx, according to the prefecture’s statement.

The pressure along the coast is extremely strong with a very high number of departures. Law enforcement agencies are operating in extremely challenging conditions, marked by hostility and sometimes violence from migrants who are determined to leave the country at any cost

Context of rising tensions at the border and the government’s response

Reports indicate that security forces face special, often difficult conditions as they respond to migrants’ actions, who sometimes display hostility or aggression during attempts to cross the strait.

Earlier, French security forces also recorded cases involving knives used to slash and damage migrants’ inflatable boats, which offered little or no resistance during the crossing.

Two women, killed on Saturday early morning during another attempt to cross the English Channel, were found in a state of cardiac arrest after the boat’s engine failed to start. Rescue teams could not save them, the Pas-de-Calais prefecture said.

The UK government is under strong pressure from the public and politics to reduce the flow of migrants arriving in the country. Britons are seeking ways to make travel through the British waters safer and to regulate migration flows from the continent. The issue of illegal migration has been at the center of political debate for several years and remains in focus.

According to official sources, more than 32,000 people have registered attempts to reach Great Britain by boat this year. Experts expect the annual total to exceed the previous record of 37,000. Meanwhile dozens of people have died attempting to cross one of the world’s busiest sea routes.

The UK government hopes that a new agreement with French officials on the deportation of migrants who enter French territory without permission will reduce the number of crossings.

The pressure along the coast is extremely strong with an extremely high number of departures. Law enforcement agencies are operating in special, difficult conditions marked by hostility and sometimes violence from migrants who are determined to leave the country at any price, – the statement says.