LEICESTER, United Kingdom – After four people – including a a two-year-old boy – died attempting to cross the English Channel, the Jesuit Refugee Service UK said tightening enforcement of immigration laws “is not a solution.”
French authorities said those who died over the weekend were initially unconscious when found but were likely trampled after their boats suffered engine failures.
According to the BBC, the prefect of the Pas-de-Calais region, Jacques Billant, told reporters boats were carrying around 90 people across the Channel from France to Britain.
“A French rescue boat went to the scene and picked up 15 migrants, including an unconscious child. The medical team dispatched by helicopter was unable to save the two-year-old child, who was pronounced dead,” he said.
“Multiple engine failures led to a stampede and some migrants fell into the water but were rescued,” he added.
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“Three people – two men and a woman – were then discovered unconscious inside this small boat,” he said.
“They were likely trampled to death during the stampede,” Billant said.
According to French authorities, 51 migrants died this year trying to cross the Channel.
The security on the English Channel is a major issue in British politics, and the newly elected Labour Government has promised to not ease restrictions on letting undocumented migrants enter the country.
Labour did squash the Conservative plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda, but otherwise has promised a more competent removal of undocumented residents, not an end to the practice.
In August, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced “a major surge” in immigration enforcement and returns activity, “to make sure that immigration and asylum rules are respected and enforced.”
She said the government has plans for the next few months to achieve the highest rate of removals of those “with no right to be here, including failed asylum seekers.”
“We are taking strong and clear steps to boost our border security and ensure the rules are respected and enforced,” Cooper said.
The BBC said more than 25,000 people have crossed the English Channel so far in 2024, and said at least 194 migrants died attempting to cross the English Channel between 2018 and September 2024.
After the latest deaths, the Jesuit Refugee Service UK said it was “deeply saddened” by the incident over the weekend.
“Each one of those who lost their lives was someone’s son or daughter, someone’s friend, had dreams that will now never be realized,” the Catholic charity said.
“As we mourn this horrendous tragedy, we must also be clear that these deaths were avoidable. They sit at the feet of a system that focuses on making it harder and harder for desperate people to cross borders,” it continued.
“Ever tighter enforcement is not a solution. If we are serious about saving human lives, we must build bridges rather than walls for those seeking sanctuary,” it added.
Follow Charles Collins on X: @CharlesinRome
