At least 12 migrants have died after their boat sank while trying to cross the English Channel, the French coastguard has said.
Up to 65 people were rescued in a search operation conducted by French authorities on Tuesday morning after a boat they were aboard got into trouble off the coast of Cap Gris-Nez, around 10 miles north of Wimereux.
The French coastguard said that all the people on board the vessel—a dinghy—had ended up in the water, with several needing medical care.
Casualties are being treated in Le Portel, near Boulogne-sur-Mer. Le Portel’s mayor, Olivier Barbarin, said the bottom of the boat was “ripped open.”
A spokesperson for the French coastguard said that the operation to find the missing was ongoing and involves a number of helicopters and boats and the French navy.
‘Horrifying and Deeply Tragic’
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the deaths in the Channel as a “horrifying and deeply tragic incident.”Cooper said she was in touch with her French counterpart, Darmanin, and that the government will await the results of the French investigation to understand how the incident unfolded.
The minister said that “the gangs behind this appalling and callous trade in human lives have been cramming more and more people onto increasingly unseaworthy dinghies, and sending them out into the Channel even in very poor weather.”
“They do not care about anything but the profits they make, and that is why – as well as mourning the awful loss of life – the work to dismantle these dangerous and criminal smuggler gangs and to strengthen border security is so vital and must proceed apace,” she added.
When Labour won the July 4 election, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer made good on his promises to scrap the Conservatives’ plans to send illegal immigrants to Rwanda and establish a Border Security Command which he said would work to tackle illegal immigration and the people smuggling gangs facilitating it.
21,403 Illegal Immigrants
Writing on X, shadow home secretary James Cleverly said, “This is tragic and it cannot continue.”Cleverly added: “It is not enough to talk about ‘smashing the gangs’ when the real-life consequences are so serious. Labour must re-establish the deterrent that the NCA said we need to stop vulnerable people being exploited and secure our border.”
The former home secretary, who is running for the leader of the Conservative Party, had previously criticised the new Labour government for saying it would get illegal immigration under control while boats full of asylum seekers continue to land on Britain’s shores.
Cleverly said last month, “When Labour ditched our deterrent (the Rwanda plan) they sent a dangerous signal to the people smugglers that they were not willing to take the tough action necessary to control our borders, and the smugglers are reaping the benefits.”
