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MigrationUnited Kingdom

5 migrants die in English Channel crossing attempt

April 23, 2024

At least five people are reported to have died in an attempt to cross the English Channel. Only hours earlier, the UK Parliament voted to deport some of those who enter Britain illegally as a deterrent to migrants.

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Three migrants on a beach with a ferry in the background
Migrants seen on a northern French beach in December 2023, after a failed crossingImage: Bernard Barron/AFP

French media said at least five people died while attempting to cross the English Channel on Tuesday.

The deaths come just hours after UK lawmakers approved a migrant deportation bill to send people who arrive on small boats to Rwanda.

What we know so far

France's La Voix du Nord newspaper said the bodies were discovered at the Wimereux beach on the northern French coast, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of Calais. One of the dead was said to be a child.

About 100 migrants were rescued and placed on a French navy ship. The regional newspaper said a search was ongoing and that helicopters and boats had been deployed. 

A French coast guard official said a crowd panic was the reason for the deaths.

A French state source said 47 people had been rescued, but more than 50 people chose to stay aboard the boat and continue their journey. The panic began soon after the boat's departure.

Rwanda plan passes in parliament

Earlier Tuesday, the government of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak succeeded in a vote to press ahead with sending some migrants on a one-way ticket to Rwanda. Even if they were to succeed in their asylum applications, they would remain in the African country.

The plan applies to those who enter the country illegally, as a deterrent to migrants who use inflatable boats in hopes of claiming asylum in Britain.

The bill is a response to a UK Supreme Court decision that blocked deportation flights because the government couldn't guarantee that migrants would be safe in Rwanda. The new legislation declares Rwanda to be a safe country.

UK Home Secretary James Cleverly, Britain's interior minister, said the government was doing all it could to deter people from making the dangerous crossings in response to the deaths.

UK plans advance to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda

"These tragedies have to stop," Cleverly said on X. "I will not accept a status quo which costs so many lives."

Europe's highest rights body said the legislation raised "major issues" over migrants' rights and the rule of law in Britain.

"The United Kingdom government should refrain from removing people under the Rwanda policy and reverse the bill's effective infringement of judicial independence," said Michael O'Flaherty, the Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights.

rc/wmr (AP, Reuters)