At least five migrants died in the English Channel on Tuesday evening while trying to cross into Britain. A child is also among the fatalities. The current accident has already brought the number of migrants who have drowned in the English Channel this year to the level of all of last year.
According to official information, twelve people died in 2023. In January this year, five migrants, including a 14-year-old Syrian, drowned when they tried in vain to reach a boat that was already in the water. The water temperature was nine degrees. In February, a 22-year-old Turk died after falling from a boat, and two other migrants are missing.
Most recently, a seven-year-old girl drowned in March when she fell into a canal that flows into the English Channel. The boat was overcrowded with 15 people and capsized. An Eritrean man was arrested in connection with this on Saturday.
Tens of thousands are trying to cross
Every year, tens of thousands of people attempt to cross the English Channel from France to Great Britain in small boats. According to the British government, the number of illegal crossings fell by a third last year to just under 30,000, after peaking at around 45,000 in 2022.
Conservative British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had repeatedly promised to ‘stop’ the refugee boats. Only in February did Britain and the EU border protection agency Frontex sign an agreement to improve cooperation in the fight against illegal immigration. It includes the exchange of information to dismantle smuggling rings and the shared use of drones to monitor borders.
Asylum treaty with Rwanda
On Tuesday evening, a controversial plan by the British government to deport migrants to Rwanda was passed by parliament in London. Refugees who enter illegally should therefore be able to be deported to Rwanda – regardless of where they come from – and the East African country will be regarded as a safe third country. The opposition and human rights activists have sharply criticized the plan. The project was described as one of the most important measures in the fight against illegal immigration.
Source: Krone
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