Little Girl Dies In Botched Smuggling Operation

Tragically, a young girl of seven years old lost her life in a canal near Dunkirk after a makeshift boat carrying sixteen individuals from northern France to the UK went down.

All eleven children—ranging in age from seven to thirteen—along with the girl’s parents, three siblings, and expectant mother perished when the boat capsized. The little vessel was probably stolen and wasn’t meant to carry that many people.

A citizen walking along the canal shoreline contacted the authorities, who dispatched the fire brigade and the police. According to the prefecture, the girl’s family was sent to a hospital in Dunkirk.

The small child was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency personnel, who were notified at approximately 7:30 in the morning on Sunday. This marks the sixth fatality in 2024 directly attributable to people-smuggling on the Channel.

The incident took place 16 miles (26 km) inland from the coast, which brings new issues regarding the methods used by the illicit smugglers to evade capture.

As reported by the French prefecture, the occurrence occurs at a time when the canal is being closely monitored because of an increase in the number of migrants attempting to land themselves onshore.

According to a press officer who spoke with CNN, the tragic capsizing occurred in a “very, very dangerous” area—between two locks.

The police are looking into the matter.

Europol recently said that Iraqi Kurds operating out of Germany were the dominant force in the criminal gangs, and the EU and UK have vowed to work more closely together to combat this. The gangs’ intricate logistics include boats imported from China, transported to Belgium, and stored in safe houses until sufficient recruits are found to brave the perilous voyage.

On Monday, Departments of Home Affairs, Foreign Policy, and Transportation ministers will gather in Brussels to review recent migration laws and other subjects.