(AFP) Within hours of dawn breaking on a scorching day, five boats carrying dozens of migrants departed from the beaches of northern France bound for the English coast.
Some 20 migrants set off from Equihen beach in the northern Pas-de-Calais region around 4:00 am on Monday. Only four were wearing life jackets as they clambered on the small boat.
They represent just a fraction of the almost 20,000 people who have made the journey across the Channel since January — a record, according to UK government figures released Tuesday.
But the journey can be perilous, with 17 people losing their lives during the crossing so far this year, following a record 78 deaths last year.
