According to British media reports, at least three people died in a boat accident in the English Channel. This was reported by the PA news agency, citing a government source. 43 people are said to have been saved alive. It is expected that the number of deaths could continue to rise.
According to information from Sky News, around 30 to 50 migrants are said to have been on the boat that got into distress on Wednesday in the early hours of the morning. Images released by the broadcaster show people climbing out of an overcrowded black inflatable boat onto a lifeboat in the dark.
The Coast Guard, together with the military, police and border guards, coordinated a search and rescue mission involving at least two helicopters and British and French lifeboats and military boats. It was initially unclear what exactly happened to the boat that crashed.
No other survivors are expected
The search for missing people will continue for the rest of the day, Sky News reported, citing inside sources. However, due to the cold temperatures – in the past few nights they have fallen below zero in the region – no more survivors are expected.
“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.”
Boat accident with around 30 dead a year ago
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.
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.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak only published plans on Tuesday to take even tougher action against illegal migration. Interior Minister Suella Braverman, who is known for her radical line on migration, wrote on Twitter that her thoughts were with everyone affected after the “devastating 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.”
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 Rwanda in East Africa – 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.
