In Wimereux, France, another attempt at crossing the English Channel from the northern French coastline was observed on Wednesday by Associated Press journalists. Following the tragic incident where 12 migrants lost their lives in a failed crossing just the day before, a small boat with several dozen individuals appeared to be heading towards Britain.
The live video broadcast showed an overcrowded inflatable boat filled with people, likely migrants, at sea. The boat was heavily laden, forcing some passengers to sit with their legs hanging over the sides of the inflatable tubes, all wearing orange life preservers. A French patrol boat approached the overcrowded inflatable and tossed more orange life vests to the individuals on board.
A larger patrol vessel with a French flag stripe on its side was also seen shadowing the inflatable from a distance. Despite the relatively calm sea conditions in the English Channel with gentle waves, the progress of the vessel seemed slow. After over an hour of filming by AP journalists, the boat remained in sight from the shore with the patrol boats monitoring closely.
For more updates on migration issues, you can follow the Associated Press’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration.
