A painting of a pile of lifejackets has appeared on a sea wall, to raise awareness of the lives lost in the Channel.

The mural was created in Ramsgate by a local street artist, with the changing tide revealing the image of discarded inflatables.

The work was announced today, August 22, by charity Refugease, on one of the busiest days of the year for people attempting to cross the English Channel.

The busiest day on record was August 22, 2022, when 1,295 made the treacherous journey. Some 880 people have lost their lives in the Mediterranean in 2024 alone.

The painting highlights the launch of a nationwide campaign by Refugease, which supports refugees.

The campaign asks commuters to donate the cost of their journeys to work, contrasting this mundane task to the gruelling plight of refugees attempting to cross the English Channel.

Valentina Osborn, Refugease founder and managing director, says: “Over the past decade, as wars have escalated, neighbouring countries to conflicts are buckling under the pressure of demands to host ever-increasing numbers of families seeking safety, rendering these environments increasingly inhospitable, as resources are scarce and refugee camps crowded.

“This has forced refugees to make longer and more dangerous journeys, to the UK for example, to reach safety.

“This has resulted in an increasing number of tragic drownings in the English Channel. Our aim is first to evacuate civilians from where conflicts are at their most precarious, then we do what we can to add to the resources of neighbouring nations (whether food packages, education, employment opportunities, or sustainable farming systems) – doing what we can to help refugees avoid making dangerous journeys further afield."