On Saturday October 5th, a two-year old was crushed to death during an attempt to cross the English Channel. In a separate attempt, three other people were killed according to French authorities. It is believed that migrants cramped into overcrowded boats in order to cross the English Channel and reach the United Kingdom.

The French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, came out with a statement on X proclaiming, “A child was trampled to death… the smugglers have the blood of these people on their hands, and our government will intensify the fight against these gangs who enrich themselves by organizing these deadly crossings.” The British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper correspondingly responded on X with, “It is appalling that more lives have been lost in the Channel today, including a young child, as criminal smuggler gangs continue to organize these dangerous boat crossings…the gangs do not care if people live or die – this is a terrible trade in lives.” In addition, France’s right-wing Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, claimed that the country needed tighter immigration laws. He claimed that he would be “ruthless” to the human traffickers that are forcing undocumented asylum seekers to make the dangerous crossing. Both the Secretary and Interior Minister are communicating on what further action is needed. The two met up earlier to discuss their “determination to increase cooperation and law enforcement to pursue and dismantle criminal gangs.”

Reasons why migrants are crossing the English Channel are endless. The majority of them cross for family, or for the universal language of English. Many are seeking new opportunities and new freedoms that they could possibly find in the UK. But in this case, human traffickers and gangs are taking advantage of that. Migrants are paying them thousands of euros to cross the channel. Both France and the UK have considerable strict immigration policies that do not allow asylum seekers to achieve residency. The future of immigration policy in both countries is bound to get tougher for these migrants.

As stated previously, a toddler and three adults were killed attempting to reach British shores. When the French authorities arrived on the scene, they clarified that the first incident was not a shipwreck, and that the child was found dead on the boat. In another nearby overcrowded boat – one that had suffered engine failure – a panic was set off, and some people jumped off and were rescued near the shores of Calais in France. Three bodies were then found in the bottom of the boat, “probably crushed, suffocated and drowned” according to Jacques Billant, who reported to the AFP news agency. The four deaths add now to the 51 people who have died trying to reach the UK from France in 2024. In this year alone, 25,000 immigrants have attempted to cross the channel. Both the UK government and the French government are working together to stop the flow of asylum seekers and immigrants from crossing the channel.

Regulation of immigration has been a large issue in both the UK and France. Stricter immigration policies have been implemented and will continue until seeking refuge within these countries becomes safe. Deportations of immigrants are often controversial and face many legal challenges. Governments argue that implementing stricter immigration policies will limit the number of dangerous journeys and disrupt the human smuggling grapevine. Above all, it is vital to protect and insure safety to asylum seekers and immigrants who are seeking refuge.