At least 12 dead after boat carrying migrants sinks in the English Channel

(CNN) — At least 12 people died, most of them women and children, when a migrant boat capsized off the coast of northern France on Tuesday, according to French authorities.

Nearly 70 people were on board the vessel, according to Boulogne-sur-Mer mayor, Frédéric Cuvillier. The exact number is unclear.

Emergency crews rescued 53 people and recovered the bodies of the dead, the maritime prefecture said. Several of those saved were in critical condition and required urgent medical care.

Three helicopters, two fishing vessels and two boats have been deployed in the search and rescue operation.

The incident is the latest in a number of tragedies on the English Channel, where small boat crossings of migrants attempting to reach Britain has soared in recent years.

“This maritime sector is one of the busiest areas in the world, with more than 600 merchant ships passing through it every day and the weather conditions are often difficult, so it is a particularly dangerous sector, even when the sea seems calm,” the prefecture said.

Most of the migrants on board appeared to be from Eritrea, the Boulogne-sur-Mer prosecutor, Guirec Le Bras, said Tuesday. He added that 10 of the 12 who died were women and some were minors.

Le Bras said it appears that the boat sank about 5 kilometers (3 miles) off the coast of Cap Gris-Nez, on the northern coast of France.

French interior minister Gerald Darmanin told reporters in Boulogne-sur-Mer on Tuesday that “less than eight people had a life jacket” on board the boat, as he pointed the finger at smugglers for the unsafe conditions.

“Obviously, it is a tragedy. As soon as a person loses their life on our territory, I would obviously like to have a compassionate thought for their families,” Darmanin added. “They were undoubtedly looking for a better world in Great Britain.”

Nearly 30,000 people reached Britain by crossing the Channel in a small boat last year, according to Home Office figures, with dinghies and other small vessels frequently being used to take large groups of people on the dangerous journey in the hope of seeking asylum in the United Kingdom.

Deadly incidents like Tuesday’s have occurred on a number of occasions during that time. Last August, six people died when a boat carrying dozens of migrants capsized.

The issue became a major political obstacle for the previous Conservative government, which was criticized by migrant rights groups for its hardline rhetoric against asylum seekers, and for the new Labour administration.

The head of the French mission for Médecins Sans Frontières, Xavier Crombé, on Tuesday blamed the policies of the French and British governments for the latest deaths.

“We are shocked and angry after this new tragedy in the English Channel,” Crombé said. “These deaths are not inevitable, but the tragic consequence of inhumane and absurd migration policies.”

Crombé said that current policies prioritize border control rather than human lives, making migrant journeys “more precarious and dangerous.”

Sharon Braithwaite in London contributed reporting.

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