Baby Dies After Migrant Boat Capsizes in Channel Near French Coast

A baby has tragically died after a migrant boat capsized off the coast of northern France while attempting to cross the Channel toward Britain. The overloaded boat, carrying 65 people, started sinking near Wissant on Thursday night. Rescuers found several passengers in the water, and although most were saved, an unconscious baby was pulled from the sea but later declared dead.

French coastguards responded to multiple SOS calls from small boats in the area. A total of 132 people were rescued across various vessels that night, with the passengers from the capsized boat taken to Boulogne-sur-Mer. The incident adds to the mounting death toll, making 2024 the deadliest year for Channel crossings with at least 53 migrants having died so far.

Humanitarian organizations and critics have called for urgent reforms to immigration policies, stressing that these tragedies are preventable. They argue that without safe and legal routes for asylum seekers, more lives will be lost in desperate attempts to reach the UK.

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