PARIS – French officials reported finding a body on a beach commonly used for migrant departures to the U.K. via flimsy inflatable boats from northern France. This discovery was made on Sunday.
There has been a significant increase in attempted crossings and fatalities in recent days. Authorities in the Pas-de-Calais region confirmed that two women had lost their lives on Saturday and mentioned finding a young man’s body, “most likely” a migrant, on the wide sandy shores south of Boulogne-sur-Mer early Sunday.
Within less than two days since Friday night, 41 attempts to cross were recorded, some successfully prevented, along the Pas-de-Calais coast, which is constantly watched by police forces, the prefecture revealed.
“The coast is under immense pressure with a surge in departures. Law enforcement operates in challenging conditions, often facing hostility and sometimes violence from migrants determined to leave no matter the risk,” the statement explained.
However, French police have been seen in the past using knives to deflate and disable migrants’ inflatable boats.
The two women who died on Saturday morning were found in cardiac arrest after failing to cross the English Channel due to a non-starting engine on their boat, which subsequently drifted, according to the Pas-de-Calais prefecture. Rescuers’ attempts to revive them were not successful.
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