Three individuals, including two children, are believed to have died due to being “likely crushed” at the bottom of a migrant boat in the English Channel. French authorities confirmed the tragic incident off the coast of Pas-de-Calais. According to the region’s prosecutor, Laurent Touvet, the boat, carrying a total of 38 individuals, led to the deaths of the three victims. The prosecutor attributed the fatalities to smugglers involved in the harrowing incident.
The bodies of the deceased were recovered at approximately 5 am on Wednesday morning. The prosecutor’s office posted about the tragic event, stating that three migrants lost their lives, with three others potentially missing. The office emphasized holding smuggler networks accountable for such tragedies and expressed determination to combat them.
Furthermore, French officials reported that three individuals were also missing in a separate incident that unfolded nearby during the same night. This incident follows revelations that smugglers have resorted to sedating children before sending them on perilous journeys across the English Channel to ensure compliance.
Solicitor General Lucy Rigby highlighted the criminals’ deplorable actions of sedating young children for the dangerous crossings. She mentioned receiving reports from CPS prosecutors regarding these smugglers’ tactics, including facilitating the transportation of very young children on boats.
MP Alex Ballinger raised concerns from constituents in Halesowen, calling for swift and stringent actions against these smugglers endangering the lives of vulnerable individuals. The ongoing perilous crossings across the English Channel have seen over 29,000 individuals making the journey since January, resulting in nearly 80 fatalities last year.
The UK government plans to initiate a “one in one out” returns agreement with France, starting with the removal of individuals later in the month. This pilot program aims to detain and repatriate individuals who crossed the Channel, with the hope of expanding the initiative in the future.