READ MORE:Five migrants trying to get to Britain on a small boat suffocated after getting trapped underneath the dinghy due to the weight of those already on board, French investigators have said.
It got in to difficulty early on Tuesday morning off Wimereux beach, near Boulogne-sur-Mer, flinging around 50 people into the bitterly cold water. It was escorted by a French warship, while a lifeboat and a Border Force cutter picked it up as it crossed the channel Once the migrants were in the water police retreated, in accordance with safety regulations, leaving around five boats to head towards England.
'Six people were immediately picked up within the patrol boat for initial treatment before being dropped off as quickly as possible on the beach to be treated by firefighters and other emergency services workers.Mr Billant said everything was being done to try to identify the deceased, who were declared dead at around 7am.Mr Billant said: 'Some 112 people were packed into that boat. It was unseaworthy - not properly inflated and completely overcrowded.
By 11am, funeral directors could be seen collecting bodies around Boulogne, while migrants suffering from conditions such as hypothermia were taken to hospital. A French emergency services spokesman said: 'Weather conditions are good, and this is one of the reasons that so many small boats set off this morning.'
The Prime Minister claimed that the 'tragic' events in France 'underscored' the need for the deterrent effect of the Rwanda plan.A police officer looks on in Wimereux, near Calais, after migrants died in an attempt to cross the English Channel He said: 'We want to prevent people making these very dangerous crossings. If you look at what's happening, criminal gangs are exploiting vulnerable people. They are packing more and more people into these unseaworthy dinghies.'Jean-Luc Dubaele said: 'Five dead in January, five dead in April. What are we waiting for?
Following a similar lethal tragedy at Wimereux in January, Mr Dubaele said: 'At the political level, we will have to change the situation, and bang our fist on the table with the English.
News Conservatives Chanel English Channel Channel 4 France Twitter Rwanda England Breaking News Rishi Sunak Poland
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: TheSun - 🏆 64. / 61 Read more »
Source: DailyMailUK - 🏆 7. / 90 Read more »
Source: DailyMailUK - 🏆 7. / 90 Read more »
Source: BBCSport - 🏆 111. / 51 Read more »
Source: DailyMailUK - 🏆 7. / 90 Read more »
Source: DailyMailUK - 🏆 7. / 90 Read more »