August 13th 2023.
The tragedy in the English Channel off the coast of France on Saturday has caused an uproar in the humanitarian community. French and British coastguards were involved in the rescue of 59 people, but sadly, 6 people lost their lives when the overloaded boat got into difficulty.
This terrible incident has put the UK government under renewed pressure to tackle small boat Channel crossings. Refugee charities have warned that more people will die unless more safe routes to the UK are created. Conservative backbencher Sir Jake Berry wrote in the Sunday Express, "We must put a stop to the vile people smugglers who trade in human misery and whose actions result in the loss of life." Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also commented on the urgent need for action to deter criminal gangs facilitating the journeys.
Lifeboats brought people to shore in Dover and at least one person was taken into the care of emergency services. This comes after the controversial Bibby Stockholm barge was evacuated due to the discovery of Legionella bacteria in the water supply. Senior Conservative backbencher David Davis described this as a "startling incompetence" of the Home Office. Despite this, ministers intend to push on with plans to hire more barges, student halls, and former office blocks to house asylum seekers.
Home Office figures show that 755 people crossed the Channel in small boats on Thursday, the highest daily number thus far this year, and the provisional total for the year so far is more than 16,000. Care4Calais called this an "appalling and preventable tragedy" and Home Secretary Suella Braverman has described this as a "tragic loss of life". She has chaired a meeting with Border Force officials later on Saturday to discuss the incident.
It is clear that a lot more needs to be done in order to prevent further tragedies and to provide safe routes for asylum seekers. It is up to the UK government to take the necessary steps to ensure that no more people die in the Channel.
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