LONDON — At least four people died when a
small boat apparently packed with migrants capsized in freezing temperatures in
the Channel overnight, the
UK government said on Wednesday.
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Dozens of others were plucked from the waters of one
of the world’s busiest shipping lanes in a large-scale rescue operation
involving UK and French emergency services.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is trying to
tighten rules to prevent record numbers of migrants from attempting the
crossing, called the capsize a “tragic loss of human life”.
Interior minister Suella Braverman said the
fatalities — and the loss of 27 lives in November last year — were “the most
sobering reminder” of the need to cut off the route.
“Crossing the Channel in unseaworthy vessels is
lethally dangerous,” she told parliament, promising closer cooperation with the
French authorities.
“It is for this
reason above all that we are trying to destroy the business model of the people
smugglers.”
But the charity Refugee Action said the deaths were
“predictable and avoidable”, blaming the government for not making safe routes
available.
Government sources said earlier that 43 people were
rescued, including more than 30 who had fallen overboard, with fears the death
toll will rise.
Nikolai Posner, from the Utopia 56 group helping
migrants in northern France, said they received a voice message and location
notification from a boat in distress at 2:53am local time (0153 GMT).
“We forwarded it to the French and British
coastguard by phone. At 3:40am (0240 GMT), the French coastguard told us the
British were handling it,” he told AFP.
“The location that was sent to us was in French
waters. At 2:59am the person who contacted us was no longer receiving messages
on WhatsApp.”
Posner, however, said he could not be sure if the
message originated from the same small boat.
Lifeboats
The UK Maritime and
Coastguard Agency (MCA) coordinated the rescue operation, which also involved
Border Force, police, and other emergency responders.
Lifeboats were launched from the Channel port of
Dover at 3:07am British time (0307 GMT), followed by vessels from Ramsgate and
Hastings along the coast, it added.
A government spokesman said the authorities were
notified at 3:05am about “a migrant small boat in distress”.
“There have been four confirmed deaths as a result
of this incident, investigations are ongoing and we will provide further information
in due course,” he added.
The MCA said at least four lifeboats and three
coastguard rescue teams were dispatched, as well as two coastguard helicopters.
A fishing vessel in the area also helped.
French officials provided helicopters and a navy patrol
boat.
More than 43,000 migrants have made the journey
across the Channel so far this year — a record — creating tensions between
London and Paris about tougher preventative measures.
It has also piled political pressure on the UK
government, which promised to “take back control” of immigration after its
Brexit departure from the EU.
But opponents have criticized the government’s
attempts to tighten entry rules, and called its proposals to deport failed
asylum seekers to Rwanda unlawful.
They have also accused ministers, including
right-winger Braverman, of demonizing asylum seekers and fuelling hostility
towards people seeking sanctuary with inflammatory rhetoric.
On Tuesday, Sunak announced a new deal with Albania
to stem the flow of migrants crossing the Channel from mainland Europe.
A third of all those arriving in UK waters this year
— almost 13,000 — have been Albanian.
Under the agreement, Albanians arriving by boat
across the Channel would be immediately returned to their home country.
Freezing weather conditions in northern Europe and
high winds on the Channel have deterred crossings in recent days.
But a drop in the wind appears to have prompted the latest
attempt, despite increased risks of hypothermia during freezing winter
temperatures.
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