5 Dead as Migrant Crossings Resume in the English Channel

Another 2 people remain in critical condition, French authorities say. The tragedy came ahead of crunch votes in the UK on the government’s Rwanda bill.

A group of people thought to be migrants crossing the Channel in a small boat traveling from the coast of France and heading in the direction of Dover, Kent, on Aug. 29, 2023. PA Media

Five migrants died on Sunday morning as people smuggling across the English channel resumed following a 27-day pause.

France’s Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea said on Sunday morning that five people had died near Wimereux beach, one person was in critical condition, with one more in a less critical condition, and 32 people were supported by the emergency system on land.