France's Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, urged for the creation of a migration treaty between the European Union and the UK on Tuesday, following the deaths of 12 migrants

attempting to cross the Channel in what has become the worst incident of its kind this year.

The tragedy occurred when a boat carrying dozens of migrants encountered difficulties off the coast near Wimereux, a town located approximately five kilometers from Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France. Several migrants were injured in the incident.

According to a source close to the investigation, three minors were among the deceased. Boulogne-sur-Mer prosecutor Guirec Le Bras confirmed that most of the victims were from Eritrea, with ten females and two males among the dead. Half of the casualties were minors.

The first to respond to the emergency were crew members aboard the French government-operated ship, the Minck, as reported by naval officer Etienne Baggio to AFP. French navy helicopters, fishing boats, and military vessels were also deployed in the rescue effort.

Olivier Barbarin, the mayor of Le Portel, near Boulogne-sur-Mer, explained that the boat had suffered a rupture at its bottom, which contributed to the tragedy. A first aid post was quickly set up in the area to treat the survivors.

Call for a New Treaty

After rushing to the scene, Darmanin emphasized the need for the EU and the UK to negotiate a new migration treaty. He referred to an existing agreement between former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron, under which the UK pledged to increase funding to France, amounting to €541 million ($575 million), to strengthen patrols along the Channel coast with additional French law enforcement officers.

UK Interior Minister Yvette Cooper described the recent deaths as "horrifying and deeply tragic," further highlighting the urgent need for stronger migration management and cooperation between the two sides. Photo by Remi Jouan, Wikimedia commons.