Boat with migrants capsized – four dead after accident in the English Channel – News

  • At least four people have died in a boat accident in the English Channel.
  • The British government confirmed this after a boat with migrants on board capsized in the waters between France and Great Britain in the early hours of the morning.
  • British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke in Parliament of a “tragic loss of life”.

According to media reports, 43 people are said to have been rescued alive from the cold water. Pictures published by the Sky News channel show people climbing out of an overcrowded black rubber dinghy onto a lifeboat in the dark.

Legend:

The rescue operation in the English Channel.

REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

The Coast Guard, together with the military, police and border guards, coordinated a search and rescue mission that involved at least two helicopters and British and French lifeboats. The search for missing people will continue for the rest of the day, Sky News reported, citing inside sources. However, due to the low temperatures – in the past few nights they have fallen to below zero in the region – the search for survivors is no longer being carried out.

The English Channel: A death trap at these temperatures

“For someone to make this journey in these temperatures shows how desperate people are,” said Alex Fraser of the British Red Cross. “No one puts their life on the line unless they feel there is no other option.”

Better control was a promise of Brexit


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The crossings are a thorn in the side of the conservative government in London. She wants to deter the migrants with radical measures. For example, people who have entered the country illegally are to be flown out to East African Rwanda – regardless of their asylum status. The controversial practice is currently under scrutiny in court.

Gaining control over who comes into the country and under what conditions was one of the key promises of Brexit. In fact, this has become even more difficult for Brits after leaving the EU, as they are no longer part of the EU-wide rules on the jurisdiction of asylum procedures.

It is not the first time that the English Channel has become a death trap for those who hope for a better future on the other side: around 30 people died in a boat accident in the English Channel just over a year ago.

London wants to take tougher action against illegal migration

According to the British Ministry of Defence, around 40,000 people had already made the dangerous journey across the English Channel by mid-November this year. Last year there were around 28,500 people. Other routes – such as road or rail – are used less frequently after Brexit and corona restrictions due to stricter controls by asylum seekers.

Prime Minister Sunak only published plans on Tuesday to take even tougher action against illegal migration. Interior Secretary Suella Braverman, known for her radical line on migration, wrote on Twitter that her thoughts were with everyone affected after the “shattering incident”. At noon, the conservative politician wanted to comment on the accident in the lower house.

Tim Naoir Hilton, head of refugee agency Refugee Action, said the disaster was “caused by hostile government policies designed to keep people out of the country rather than to keep them safe.”

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