當地時間24日晚，法國內政部長達爾馬寧在法國北部港口城市加來表示，當天在加來附近海域發生的偷渡船隻傾覆事件已造成至少31人死亡，其中包括5名婦女及1名女童。另有2名落水者雖已被救起，但仍有生命危險。
國際移民組織的統計數據顯示，這是2014年以來穿越英吉利海峽喪生人數最多的一次。
事件發生後，達爾馬寧稱，組織偷渡者理應為此負責。法國總理讓·卡斯特克斯也在社交媒體上發聲，稱英吉利海峽的沉船事件是一場悲劇，並對失蹤和受傷的人表示同情，“他們是被走私犯罪分子利用的受害者。”
就在24日當天，有4名與這起船隻傾覆事件相關聯的“蛇頭”被捕；而自今年1月1日以來，法國抓捕的偷渡“蛇頭”已超過1500人。
法國總統馬克龍當天通過一份聲明表示，法國不會讓英吉利海峽成為一座墳墓。他呼籲歐盟各國加強對歐盟外部邊界的管理，並要求在歐盟層面就移民問題召開緊急會議。
At least 31 people have died while trying to cross the Channel between France and the UK, French authorities have said.
France's Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced he would travel to the area, tweeting: "Strong emotion in the face of the tragedy of numerous deaths due to the capsizing of a migrant boat in the Channel." He added that "the criminal nature of the smugglers who organize these crossings cannot be condemned enough."
Three helicopters and three boats were deployed to take part in the search, local authorities said.
"The disaster in the Channel is a tragedy," added Prime Minister Jean Castex. "My thoughts are with the many missing and injured, victims of criminal smugglers who exploit their distress and misery," he wrote on Twitter.
英國首相約翰遜在就此事召開緊急內閣會議後表示，他對發生在英吉利海峽的生命損失感到震驚和悲痛，並承諾利用一切力量摧毀人口販子和歹徒的“商業鏈”，阻止類似事件再次發生。他同時強調，英國必須與法國和歐洲夥伴合作，共同努力打擊這些團伙。
長期以來，世界各地的移民一直將法國北部作為出發點，乘坐船隻經英吉利海峽進入英國。英國政府自脱歐後，試圖採取相關措施減少非法入境英國的難民人數，但收效甚微。
根據英國官方數據顯示，今年乘船偷渡人數創下新高，截至目前，已有超過2.5萬非法移民進入英國，是去年相關數字的3倍。
非法移民問題也加劇了英法兩國的緊張關係，兩國已就相關事宜發生多次爭執。英國政府方面指責法國缺乏對目前局勢的管控，法國則對在英吉利海峽打擊非法移民耗費的資金增多表示不滿。
此前兩國關於漁業問題的爭議也仍懸而未決。
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson called an emergency committee meeting to discuss the deaths.
Record numbers of migrants have made the crossing using small boats in recent weeks, sparking a political row with London accusing Paris of not doing enough to stop the traffic.
Since it left the European Union, and in his efforts to try to fulfill his Brexit promise to take control of the country's borders, Johnson's government has sought to cut the flow of small craft such as dinghies and canoes.
However, rather than falling, the numbers of people trying to cross the Channel in small boats has been rising, with more than 25,500 people making it across.
The UK government says the arrivals are mainly economic migrants looking for better jobs and has proposed new laws to criminalize those making the journey. Independent organizations say most are genuinely fleeing dangers in their home countries.
The Channel is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, with strong currents and cold water contributing to the dangers faced by voyagers with little or no maritime experience on unsuitable craft.
Before Wednesday's disaster, 14 people had drowned this year trying to make it to Britain, a local maritime prefecture official said. In 2020, a total of seven people died and two disappeared, while in 2019 four died.