A migrant sailing in an inflatable boat down a riverway in France shouted ‘this is for Rishi Sunak‘ before picking up more people from a beach near Calais and travelling onwards across the English Channel.
Footage captured a group travelling on a black dinghy before reaching the sea, where dozens of migrants waded into the water at Gravelines and pulled themselves onto the crowded boat on Monday morning.
The saga unfolded in full view of French police, who stood by and watched as the migrants scrambled aboard the sorely overloaded craft before they set sail.
The departures come just one day after another migrant died attempting the journey to the UK.
Migrants sail down a riverway leading to the English Channel as one shouts ‘this is for Rishi Sunak’
A migrant sailing in an inflatable boat down a riverway in France shouted ‘this is for Rishi Sunak ‘ before picking up more people from a beach near Calais this morning
Footage captured a group travelling on a black dinghy before reaching the sea, where dozens of migrants waded into the water at Gravelines
Migrants are seen desperately scrambling aboard a black dinghy off Gravelines
A group of people thought to be migrants, including young children, are escorted by french police officers as they walk across the beach in Gravelines, France, during an attempt to board a small boat and cross the Channel
A group of people thought to be migrants, including young children, walk across the beach in Gravelines, France, during an attempt to board a small boat to cross the Channel
Migrants wave as they depart from Gravelines and sail into the Channel
Men, women and young children, some wearing life jackets, could be seen appearing from sand dunes and walking across the beach.
Some youngsters were carried on shoulders, but families turned back from the sea as others walked out into the water to be picked up by the inflatable boat.
Police patrolled the beach and appeared to approach families before they turned away.
Volunteers from refugee charity Utopia 56 were also at the scene and told the PA news agency they deal with emergencies, check the boats at sea are not in trouble, distribute clothes and monitor how police engage with migrants on the beaches.
One volunteer, Pablo Eymard-Picollec, said of the families who turned back: ‘I think a few police officers talked to them and told them to stay on the beach.
‘As you can see on the boat, it was really, really crowded, so I think they assumed it was too risky for them to go, but we have to speak with them to know for sure the reason they didn’t go today.’
It comes as the French coastguard rescued 34 migrants, while one person died, after a ‘heavily loaded’ boat got into difficulty overnight from July 27 to 28.
A group of people thought to be migrants wade through the sea to clamber aboard a small boat off the beach in Gravelines, France. Picture date: Monday July 29, 2024
A group of people thought to be migrants leave Gravelines in France onboard a small boat in an attempt to cross the Channel. Picture date: Monday July 29, 2024
A group of people thought to be migrants, including small children leave the beach in Gravelines, France, following an unsuccessful attempt to board a small boat and cross the Channel. Picture date: Monday July 29, 2024
Some youngsters were carried on shoulders, but families turned back from the sea as others walked out into the water to be picked up by the inflatable boat
Another Utopia 56 volunteer, who wished not to be named, said they believe it’s more dangerous now as the police have militarised the border.
‘More and more people are coming in one boat because there is less chance for them to try,’ they said.
‘So there are more people now in one boat than before, there is more risk and things like yesterday.’
The charity patrol group said they saw four boats leaving the French coastline on Monday morning.
More than 16,000 migrants have made the journey via the English Channel this year so far, with the latest arrivals of 370 people travelling in six boats on Saturday.
Some 34 people were rescued from an overcrowded migrant boat early Sunday morning – with one woman later dying amid the distress.
The tragedy unfolded after desperate passengers on the inflatable dinghy called emergency services at around 5am.
‘Rescuers saw an unconscious woman on board,’ said a spokesman for the French emergency services. ‘She was rapidly taken off and given first aid treatment, but she died on her way to hospital.’
The woman – who has not been identified – was the seventh person to have died in such circumstances in July alone.
A group of people thought to be migrants wade through the sea to clamber aboard a small boat off the beach in Gravelines, France
File photo of migrants crossing the Channel
File photo of Border Force attending a small boat incident in the Channel
An emergency source said: ‘She was nowhere near the water, but succumbed to being crushed by the amount of people around her.
‘Migrants are drowning in the water, but the new phenomenon of people dying inside the boats is becoming very serious indeed.’
The Maritime Prefecture said the boat requested assistance off the coast of Calais.
The patrol boat Armoise, of the Maritime Gendarmerie, and French Customs Coast Guard boat Kermorvan attended the scene at around 5.30am.
‘It was during the transfer of those who wanted to get off the boat that the rescue services noticed that there was an unconscious person on board,’ said a spokesman.
The victim was airlifted to hospital in Boulogne-sur-Mer, but ‘she was unfortunately declared dead’.
The spokesman added: ‘Several people still on board the boat refused assistance.
‘Given the risks of falling overboard or injury to people in the event of forced intervention, the decision was made to let the other people on this boat continue on their journey to England’.
The year to date has been the busiest for crossings so far, with 14,759 migrants arriving between January 1 and July 16 – the most recent date for which figures are available. This compares to 14,622 in 2022, the second busiest year
The dinghy was in the sea off the northern French port of Calais when it was reported overnight to the regional surveillance and rescue centre (CROSS).
The centre dispatched a police vessel and a border guard patrol boat to the area at around 5:30am after ‘some of the people aboard called for help’.
On July 12, four migrants drowned overnight after being carried on a packed boat of 67 migrants off the coast of Boulonge sur Mer, also in northern France.
Those who died were not wearing lifejackets when they died which sparked a police investigation into the people smugglers who were charging around £1,000 per person.
Instead of life jackets, each was given a poorly inflated inner tube to hang on to in case of difficulty.