At least 31 migrants have died after their boat capsized in the English Channel while trying to cross from France to Britain on Wednesday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the deaths in the Channel were “appalling” and “underscored how dangerous it is” to cross from France. Speaking from Calais, French Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin, said: “Today is an appalling situation for France, Europe and humanity to see these people perish at sea because of traffickers”.
A fisherman raised the alarm in the early afternoon, reporting then about 15 bodies. “France will not let the Channel become a graveyard,” said Emmanuel Macron. An interministerial meeting is to be held Thursday morning, according to Matignon.
Mr Darmanin confirmed that of the 34 people onboard, 31 migrants had drowned in the English Channel.
He said that of these, five were women and one was a “little girl”.
Of the 33 people were found between Calais and Dunkirk, just two were saved and are in intensive care.
Mr Darmanin said: “So we’re talking about a day like any other days of migrants who… want to go to England at their risk and peril and often like today we see these appalling dramas.”
He said the true criminals in this case are the people who charge up to 3,000 euros for migrants to embark flimsy dinghies to try and cross.
Mr Darmanin said French police have arrested four people suspected of being linked to the drowning.
It is the worst ever disaster involving migrants trying to cross to Britain, he said.
Some 7,800 migrants have been saved at sea by French sailors since January 1.
France’s prime minister said the drowning was a “tragedy” and his thoughts were with “victims of criminal smugglers who exploit their distress and injury”.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he is “shocked, appalled and deeply saddened” by the loss of life in the English Channel and the Government will “leave no stone unturned to demolish human trafficking gangs”.
Mr Johnson will chair a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee in response to the deaths, Downing Street said.
