This Monday, March 4 in Calais, a tribute was paid to the 7-year-old girl, who died in the capsize of a migrant boat on Sunday. This boat was traveling not at sea but on a canal, around thirty kilometers from the coast, inland. The migrants planned to reach the United Kingdom by crossing the Channel. Three men were taken into custody.
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With our special correspondent in Calais, Baptiste Coulon
This Monday evening, as with each death of migrants at sea, associations gathered in the city center of Calais for a tribute to this little girl. When night falls, the only light comes from four small candles placed on the ground, they illuminate first names, last names and ages written on black tarpaulins. These are those of migrants who died or disappeared at sea. It’s important to remember that it’s not just numbers, but people, destinies, and families that have been broken by this border regime. », Explains a participant in the tribute.
Among those present, many volunteers and associations helping migrants, united in tribute to this seven-year-old girl: “ You should know that this little girl has three brothers », recalls a person present this Monday evening. After the emotion and the minute of silence, it is anger that predominates among Flore, a volunteer at the “migrant hostel”, an association which helps exiles: “ I don’t know how many commemorations I have attended. Since the start of the year at the border, there have been nine confirmed deaths and at least three people missing, that’s not possible! »
Less repression on beaches and in migrant camps
Anger is mixed with helplessness, yet solutions exist, Flore believes: less repression on the beaches and in migrant camps. “ With the increase in police presence, people are taking ever more risks. We have governments that insist on making borders impassable even though they know full well that this is infeasible. Today, these policies are killing people. »
But these policies do not slow down the desire to leave. On the night of the tragedy, taking advantage of favorable weather, more than a hundred migrants attempted to reach the United Kingdom by crossing the Channel. This shipwreck which occurred on Sunday is the third deadly shipwreck since the start of 2024 in the Channel.
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