On Tuesday, a tragic incident in the English Channel saw multiple deaths, but this has not deterred the smuggling gangs who continue to launch overcrowded and poorly constructed boats from the French coast.

A BBC team observed a crowded inflatable boat heading north near the shore early on Wednesday. An hour later, a similar vessel—likely the same one—was seen approaching a French beach near Wimereux, known for its use by smugglers, to pick up more passengers. Despite French police efforts to intercept the boat, it departed with over 40 people on board, some precariously standing or clinging to the sides.

As investigations into Tuesday’s disaster are ongoing, local authorities have chosen to dismantle a makeshift migrant camp outside Calais, which had been used by many of those who were on the capsized boat. A 23-year-old Eritrean man, who requested anonymity, expressed distress, noting that he knew some of the deceased and that the police had taken his tent and belongings.

French officials have indicated that most of the deceased were likely from Eritrea, a nation plagued by conflict and mandatory military service. Many young Eritreans, like the man interviewed, are fleeing to avoid conscription and seek better opportunities in the UK. Despite having waited for a year and lacking funds for smugglers, he remains determined to cross the Channel.

In Boulogne, French fishermen who participated in the rescue efforts returned with their daily catch. Some shared their experiences of recovering bodies from the water, arriving less than thirty minutes after the boat disintegrated. Captain Gaetan Baillet, though saddened by the situation, shrugged off questions about accountability for the increasing death toll.

Dany Patoux from the migrant charity Osmos 62 blamed the smuggling gangs but also criticized the increasing militarization of the French coast. He argued that heightened security measures are pushing smugglers to take greater risks, forcing migrants to crowd into unsafe boats due to the destruction of many inflatables by the police.

While there is a general sense of sympathy for the migrants and their perilous crossings, there is growing frustration with the rising death toll, which is beginning to shift public opinion. Olivier Barbarin, the mayor of Le Portel, has called for the UK to either fully close its border or take measures to ensure safer crossings, emphasizing that it is unacceptable to continue exposing migrants fleeing war to such dangerous risks.