A seven-year-old girl is among at least five migrants who have died in an attempt to cross the English Channel, just hours after Rishi Sunak’s flagship Rwanda bill was passed by Parliament.
The victims were among 112 people who were on a small boat which got into trouble after setting off from a beach in the town of Wimereux in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.
The five dead included three men, a woman and a child, a spokesperson for the French coastguard said. Local official Jacques Billant told reporters on Tuesday lunchtime that the child was a seven-year-old girl.
He also said French emergency services rescued 47 migrants, with four taken to hospital. He added that more than 50 people decided to remain on the boat and continue their journey toward England.
Pictures taken at Dover on Tuesday showed suspected migrants being brought ashore by Border Force. It’s not yet clear if they were on the same boat as the five people who died.
“Despite the complex and delicate situation, 57 people were still in the inflatable, they remained on board, not wishing to be rescued, they managed to restart the engine and continued their sea route, towards the UK, under surveillance by the navy,” Mr Billant said.
There are a number of unconfirmed reports on what happened onboard the boat.
One aid worker, who witnessed the return of some of the migrants, said the boat capsized during a “mass panic” onboard after hitting a sandbank shortly after leaving. Dany Patoux, of charity Osmose 62, added: “People began to fall into the water, and then the boat capsized, flinging everybody in to the very cold sea.”
Among the survivors was the father of the girl who had died, said Mr Patoux, who added: “[He] fell into our arms right away. He was crying, in a daze. He saw his little daughter die before his eyes.”
Other reports suggest that there was a “crowd movement” onboard the packed vessel with the victims crushed in the panic.
French newspaper The Voix du Nord reported Mr Billant as saying that sailors who went to help those in the dingy found “several inanimate people and those in great difficulty”.
“Six people were immediately picked up within the patrol boat for initial treatment before being dropped off as quickly as possible on the beach of Wimereux to be rescued by firefighters. Despite attempts at resuscitation, five of them died,” he is reported as saying.
The tragedy happened as at least five small boats reportedly took to the water from the town this morning with the mild weather conditions reportedly making crossing attempts favourable.
It was only hours after the government’s controversial Rwanda bill was passed, with the legislation set to see asylum seekers flown to the African country to have their claims processed.
Ministers say it will deter people from arriving in the UK by small boats.
Mr Sunak had vowed the Rwanda scheme will “deter vulnerable migrants from making perilous crossings” and break the business model of the criminal gangs organising the boats.
Reacting to the five deaths on Tuesday morning, he told reporters: “There are reports of sadly yet more tragic deaths in the Channel this morning. I think that is just a reminder of why our plan is so important … it underscores why you need a deterrent very simply.”
Home Secretary James Cleverly said “these tragedies have to stop” and insisted the Government is doing “everything we can” to stop the boats.
The government’s flagship immigration bill was passed by Parliament after the House of Lords withdrew its amendment to the legislation, conceding it must now “acknowledge the primacy of the elected house”.
The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill wil see around 150 asylum seekers boarded on to flights to Kigali from July.
Charter planes are expected to leave for Rwanda in 10-12 weeks, with Mr Sunak promising “multiple flights a month”, although minsters conceded numbers being sent to Kigali will be small at first.
The cost of putting each migrant on a plane is expected to reach £11,000, while Rwanda will get £20,000 for each asylum seeker relocated there and a £120 million top-up once 300 have arrived.
Under the bill, Rwanda has been designated a safe country – but there are many human rights groups who say the programme will put refugees at risk, while others say it will have little impact on the number of boat crossings.
Senior United Nations figures have urged Rishi Sunak to reconsider the Rwanda scheme, which they say “shifts responsbility” for refugee protection.
While the Council of Europe’s human rights watchdog has condemned the scheme, saying it raises “major issues about the human rights of asylum seekers and the rule of law”.
On BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday morning, Michael Tomlinson, the minister for illegal migration, and BBC Radio 4 presenter Mishael Husain got into a heated exchange on the issue, with Mr Tomlinson telling Ms Husain he was “frustated” with her questions on details for the flights.
Clearly rattled, Mr Tomlinson struggled to keep his composure as Ms Husain repeatedly interrupted him. At one point she said his arguments were “irrelevant”.
Accusing her of trying to stop him giving an explanation, he said: “You asked a question with an incredulous tone. I am trying to answer it. Then you interrupt me.”
The deaths come following a week of no recorded boat crossings by the Home Office – but follow a weekend earlier this month when 748 migrants arrived in Kent after crossing the English Channel.
Figures published by the government department showed there were 214 people brought ashore from five boats on 13 April, and 534 on 10 boats on 14 April – that brough the total number of migrants arriving in the UK in small boats to 6,265 for 2024.
The data does not include migrants who have failed to reach Britain.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We remain committed to building on the successes that saw arrivals drop by more than a third last year, including tougher legislation and agreements with international partners, in order to save lives and stop the boats.”
The Channel between France and Britain is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and currents are strong, making the crossing on small boats dangerous.
This is a breaking news story – more to follow
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
