Dinghy with about fifty migrants sinks in the English Channel, at least four dead

A dinghy with about fifty migrants on it sank in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday in the English Channel between Hameau du Gris-Nez and Dungeness. That report British media. Four people have been killed so far, according to the British government. Ships and helicopters from the British and French navies have come into action to rescue the drowning people.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday about the accident, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “I am sure the whole House will share my grief at the early morning loss of a small boat in the English Channel and the tragic loss of life.” Referring to people smugglers, Labor leader Keir Starmer said: “This is a reminder that the criminal gangs that control these migration routes are risking the lives of desperate people.”

The temperature on the British island has dropped considerably in the past week, in a village near the accident site it was about two degrees on Wednesday. At sea, the temperature was probably much lower. Despite these perilous conditions, some 500 migrants attempted to reach England last weekend alone, mostly through smugglers who took advantage of the calm seas.

205 deaths since 2014

Last year, more than 40,000 migrants made the crossing. Many of them came from Afghanistan, Iran and Albania, and boarded the boat in France. The French government is trying to dismantle the small refugee camps on the coast that serve as the starting point for the crossing. That doesn’t work well. According to the Missing Migrants Project foundation, 205 people crossing the border have died since 2014.

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For the government of Prime Minister Sunak, who took office in October, (boat) migration to the United Kingdom is a politically sensitive issue. Polls show that voters blame the government for its failure to keep the migrants out, particularly since the UK left the EU. During the Brexit campaign, it was explicitly stated that the EU is responsible for the migration of mostly young men to the UK. Yet migration has not been curbed since Brexit.

The day before the accident, Sunak presented new plans to deter boat migrants, with regulations preventing them from staying in the UK after arrival. According to Sunak, “enough was enough”, and the British are right to be angry about the government’s failure in the migration file.

Twitter avatar RishiSunak Rishi Sunak 3/ We’re doubling funding for the National Crime Agency to tackle immigration crime in Europe. We’re also adding 200 new staff to step up our immigration enforcement. These extra resources in turn will allow us to increase raids on illegal working by 50%. https://t.co/0UJ1Q4SiIP Dec 13, 2022 @ 12:52

Read also Record numbers of migrants crossed the Channel to the UK last year

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