Tragedy in the Channel: Overloaded Migrant Boat Sinks, Claiming 12 Lives

[Social Media]

 

In a devastating incident off the French coast, 12 migrants, including six children and a pregnant woman, lost their lives when an overloaded boat sank in the English Channel. The local prosecutor’s office reported that among the deceased, 10 were female and two were male. The disaster occurred near Cape Gris-Nez, close to Boulogne-sur-Mer, with the French coast guard managing to rescue more than 50 people. However, two of the survivors are currently in critical condition.

 

The boat was reported to have been severely overloaded, leading to its bottom "ripping open," according to officials. Tragically, fewer than eight passengers on board were wearing life jackets at the time of the sinking. This incident marks the deadliest loss of life in the Channel this year. There are suspicions that a Syrian smuggler may have been involved in organizing the perilous crossing.

 

Local prosecutor Guirec Le Bras stated that the victims were believed to be "primarily of Eritrean origin," though the exact nationalities have not yet been confirmed. This tragedy adds to an already grim statistic; before Tuesday's disaster, 30 people had died crossing the Channel in 2024, surpassing the 45 deaths recorded in 2021, which had been the highest annual figure until now, according to the UN's International Organisation for Migration.

 

French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin emphasized that authorities were intercepting 60% of small boat departures. However, he noted that smugglers are increasingly cramming more people onto vessels than they are designed to carry, with some boats now holding up to 70 individuals instead of the usual 30 to 40. This overcrowding has led to more frequent and deadlier shipwrecks. Darmanin called for the UK and EU to negotiate a "treaty on migration" to address the crisis and reduce the number of small boat crossings.

 

In response to the incident, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed her horror and sadness, describing the event as "horrifying and deeply tragic." She condemned the "appalling and callous trade in human lives" perpetrated by smuggling gangs, who have been sending increasingly overloaded and unseaworthy dinghies into the Channel, even in poor weather conditions. Cooper stressed the importance of continuing efforts to "dismantle these dangerous and criminal smuggler gangs" and to "strengthen border security."

 

Steve Smith, CEO of Care4Calais, a charity supporting migrants in Calais, highlighted the growing frequency of such tragedies. He urged political leaders on both sides of the Channel to take action, questioning, "How many lives will be lost before they end these avoidable tragedies?"

 

The French coastguard confirmed that helicopters, Navy boats, and fishing vessels were all involved in the rescue operation. Despite these efforts, the number of people attempting the perilous crossing of the English Channel in small boats has risen significantly. Since 2018, more than 135,000 people have reached the UK via this route, with over 21,000 making the crossing so far this year. This is a slight increase compared to the same period in the previous year, but fewer than the record 45,755 who crossed in 2022.

 

Both the current Labour government and the previous Conservative administration have made pledges to tackle the problem. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reversed the previous Tory government's controversial plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda, which was never implemented after being announced in 2022. Starmer has vowed to take stronger measures to "smash" the people-smuggling gangs responsible for these dangerous crossings.

 

Downing Street has stated that it has already begun taking action against these criminal networks by recruiting more officers to the National Crime Agency and establishing the government’s Border Security Command. However, critics argue that the government must do more to provide safe routes for asylum seekers. Amnesty International UK warned that "No amount of 'smash the gangs' policing and Government rhetoric is going to stop these disasters from unfolding time and again if the needs of people exploited by those gangs remain unaddressed."

 

Credit: BBC 2024-09-04

 

 

 

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[James105]

I swear I recall Herr Starmer claiming he was going to "smash the gangs" which would prevent this kind of tragedy.  Has this brilliant plan hit a bit of a snag or something?   This comes as such a shock.   I mean who would have thought that removing any kind of deterrent and giving an amnesty to illegal immigrants would lead to even more deaths in the channel?   

[brewsterbudgen]

44 minutes ago, James105 said:

I swear I recall Herr Starmer claiming he was going to "smash the gangs" which would prevent this kind of tragedy.  Has this brilliant plan hit a bit of a snag or something?   This comes as such a shock.   I mean who would have thought that removing any kind of deterrent and giving an amnesty to illegal immigrants would lead to even more deaths in the channel?   

Good grief, he's only been PM for a few months!  

[Patong2021]

55 minutes ago, James105 said:

I swear I recall Herr Starmer claiming he was going to "smash the gangs" which would prevent this kind of tragedy.  Has this brilliant plan hit a bit of a snag or something?   This comes as such a shock.   I mean who would have thought that removing any kind of deterrent and giving an amnesty to illegal immigrants would lead to even more deaths in the channel?   

 

As this occurred in French territory, there is nothing the UK government could do. It's France's problem which it refuses to address.

[James105]

12 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Good grief, he's only been PM for a few months!  

 

I know he is doing an amazing job.  I can feel the tremors from here of the people smugglers literally quaking in their boots as they heard Herr Starmer tell them he was going to "smash the gangs".  

 

In just a few short months he has removed every single deterrent and is basically offering amnesty to anyone coming illegally so it's quite impressive what can be achieved really in such a short timeframe.   I note that he is being very quiet on these needless and avoidable deaths and has not said a word.   Apparently one of the victims was a pregnant mother as well and due to a shortage of life jackets (which were claimed by the valiant men on the boat) she didn't have one.   

[mokwit]

Perhaps if politicians hadn't gone on social media holding #refugeeswelcome signs..............

[James105]

5 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

 

As this occurred in French territory, there is nothing the UK government could do. It's France's problem which it refuses to address.

 

The UK government could have easily prevented these deaths by ensuring no illegal immigrant is ever granted asylum, offer no benefits to go to the UK, and deported them the moment they arrive to either the country they came from or another country for processing.    This is called a deterrent and would have prevented people getting in the boats in the first place.  It is entirely the UK governments fault and this blood is on their hands, including the blood of a pregnant woman.   

Edited September 4 by James105

[brewsterbudgen]

Hopefully the new government will offer safer routes for asylum seekers to legally claim asylum.  It would have been a lot easier to do it we were still in the EU.  Judge them by the results in about a year.

[proton]

1 hour ago, James105 said:

I swear I recall Herr Starmer claiming he was going to "smash the gangs" which would prevent this kind of tragedy.  Has this brilliant plan hit a bit of a snag or something?   This comes as such a shock.   I mean who would have thought that removing any kind of deterrent and giving an amnesty to illegal immigrants would lead to even more deaths in the channel?   

 

As pointless as smashing drug dealing gangs, they just get replaced by others. He could stop the boats this week if he wanted to, he has no intention of doing so. Take a leaf out of Thailands book, detain and give no benefits then keep them in detentions until they pay their own fares home. Hotels and hand outs just encourage more and more.

[proton]

3 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Hopefully the new government will offer safer routes for asylum seekers to legally claim asylum.  It would have been a lot easier to do it we were still in the EU.  Judge them by the results in about a year.

 

Almost none are real asylum seekers, it's become a scam, throw papers away and claim you are from a troubled country, life threatened etc, almost never checked out and almost none of the liars ever deported. My friend proceeded asylum claims 20 plus years ago, she said then 95% were fake, but they were still let in.

Edited September 4 by proton

[youreavinalaff]

4 hours ago, proton said:

 

Almost none are real asylum seekers, it's become a scam, throw papers away and claim you are from a troubled country, life threatened etc, almost never checked out and almost none of the liars ever deported. My friend proceeded asylum claims 20 plus years ago, she said then 95% were fake, but they were still let in.

I've lost count of how many times you've posted this.

 

You are yet to actually back you claim with any evidence.

 

 

[proton]

1 hour ago, youreavinalaff said:

I've lost count of how many times you've posted this.

 

You are yet to actually back you claim with any evidence.

 

 

 

No evidence needed you either believe it or not. The person in question was also an illegal overstayer originally, who not only had an NI number and a job when arrested but also a HA flat in one of the best projects in London, all while totally illegal. They did not take the flat off her and when she wangled the right to stay collect 16k to move out and bought another flat now worth half a million. That was 30 years ago, since then the UK has become an even bigger push over. 

[Chomper Higgot]

8 hours ago, mokwit said:

Perhaps if politicians hadn't gone on social media holding #refugeeswelcome signs..............

Refugees are welcome.

[Chomper Higgot]

8 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Hopefully the new government will offer safer routes for asylum seekers to legally claim asylum.  It would have been a lot easier to do it we were still in the EU.  Judge them by the results in about a year.

This.

[Chomper Higgot]

2 hours ago, proton said:

 

No evidence needed you either believe it or not. The person in question was also an illegal overstayer originally, who not only had an NI number and a job when arrested but also a HA flat in one of the best projects in London, all while totally illegal. They did not take the flat off her and when she wangled the right to stay collect 16k to move out and bought another flat now worth half a million. That was 30 years ago, since then the UK has become an even bigger push over. 

It’s an unsubstantiated claim, you have never backed it up. So no, I don’t believe it.

I just called a friend, he doesn’t believe it either.

 

[youreavinalaff]

3 hours ago, proton said:

 

No evidence needed you either believe it or not. The person in question was also an illegal overstayer originally, who not only had an NI number and a job when arrested but also a HA flat in one of the best projects in London, all while totally illegal. They did not take the flat off her and when she wangled the right to stay collect 16k to move out and bought another flat now worth half a million. That was 30 years ago, since then the UK has become an even bigger push over. 

None of that happened. Not in real life.

[herfiehandbag]

9 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

 

As this occurred in French territory, there is nothing the UK government could do. It's France's problem which it refuses to address.

Well I suppose we could send them more money to fund their utterly ineffective attempts to prevent the embarkations.

 

It surely cannot be beyond the wit of anyone, even the French, to prevent or control the purchase and movement of these big inflatables and their large outboard engines. They are large difficult to conceal bits of kit, hardly the little dinghies you buy at a petrol station en route to a day at the seaside!

[Patong2021]

1 hour ago, herfiehandbag said:

Well I suppose we could send them more money to fund their utterly ineffective attempts to prevent the embarkations.

 

It surely cannot be beyond the wit of anyone, even the French, to prevent or control the purchase and movement of these big inflatables and their large outboard engines. They are large difficult to conceal bits of kit, hardly the little dinghies you buy at a petrol station en route to a day at the seaside!

 

I offer that it is intentional. The French often stand by while the refugees make for the UK. Under international law and the various conventions that the UK was a party of and even co-sponsor, the UK is obligated to allow entry of the migrants presenting as refugees.  The French have been dumping their problem into the UK for years, with the UK unable to  put pressure on the French, even when the UK was a member of the EU.

 

The French response has always been, fine, we can cut off the channel, but that means no easy entry for UK ferries or commercial traffic. The French have done it before and the UK public response is to cry and to complain, open the borders they demand and then the UK  government of the day backs down because some punters can't make it to Calais to buy cheap plonk, and commerce traffic is delayed upset the business community.

 

Even when the UK government has taken action against the migrants, tens of thousands of UK citizens come out to protest. It's wrong they say. Jeremy Corbyn et al, , militant unions, social activists and professional rioters all come out to protest. Multiple  deportations have been blocked by people on airliners who decide they will make a political statement.   It is an easy excuse to blame the "government". The reality is that the migrants flow into the UK and  abuse the  welfare system because the UK population is weak and bullied by a vocal minority who dictate the response. Anytime a government responds forcefully, the public complains.

[JonnyF]

21 hours ago, proton said:

Take a leaf out of Thailands book, detain and give no benefits then keep them in detentions until they pay their own fares home. Hotels and hand outs just encourage more and more.

 

This.

 

Use Thai style detention centres. 3 bowls of fish/rice per day. If they can't raise the money to leave within 5 years, deport.

 

The numbers coming would plummet.  

 

Instead we get smug, lily livered virtue signallers like Cooper.