Macron calls for European aid after 27 migrant deaths
CALAIS, France — Helicopters buzzed above the waves and vessels were already scouring the waters when French maritime rescue volunteer Charles Devos added his boat to the frantic search for a flimsy migrant craft that foundered in the English Channel, killing at least 27.
With migrants often setting off by the hundreds in flotillas of unseaworthy and overloaded vessels into the busy shipping lane crisscrossed by hulking freighters, and frequently beset by treacherous weather, waves and currents, Devos had long feared that tragedy would ensue.
That came this week, with the deadliest migration accident to date on the stretch of sea that separates France and Britain.
“We picked up six floating bodies,” Devos told reporters, adding, “I’d been somewhat expecting it because I’d say, ‘It’s going to end with a drama.’ ”
France and Britain appealed Thursday for European
assistance, promised stepped-up efforts to combat people-smuggling networks and also traded blame and barbs in the wake of Wednesday’s tragedy.
French President Emmanuel Macron appealed to neighboring European countries to do more to stop illegal migration into France, saying that when migrants reach French shores with hopes of heading on to Britain, “it is already too late.”
Macron said France is deploying drones as part of efforts to patrol its northern coastline and help rescue migrants at sea. But he also said that a greater collective effort is needed.
“We need to strengthen cooperation with Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, but also the British and the (European) Commission,” he said on a visit to Croatia. “We need stronger European cooperation.”
Migration is an explosive issue in Europe, where leaders often accuse one another of not doing enough to either prevent migrants from entering their countries or from continuing on to other nations.
Ministers from Belgium,
Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and EU officials will meet Sunday to discuss increasing efforts to crack down on migrant-smuggling networks, Macron’s government announced.
Devos, the rescue volunteer, told reporters the flimsy craft used by migrants for the crossing are increasingly overloaded, with as many as 50 people aboard.
Macron described the dead in Wednesday’s sinking as “victims of the worst system, that of smugglers and human traffickers.”
France has never had so many officers mobilized against illegal migration and its commitment is “total,” he said.
More people fleeing conflict or poverty in Afghanistan, Sudan, Iraq, Eritrea or elsewhere are risking the perilous journey from France, hoping to win asylum or find better opportunities in Britain.
The crossings have tripled this year compared with 2020. French authorities said Wednesday’s was the deadliest migration tragedy in the channel since seven migrants died in October 2020.