During a telephonic conversation on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed to enhance cooperation to prevent illegal crossings along the English Channel. The discussion was held in light of the death of 27 migrants who attempted to cross the Channel in a dinghy.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, has been reported as one of the worst disasters involving migrants in the English Channel. According to Al Jazeera, owing to the relatively calm sea conditions, there has been a surge in illegal migrants using dinghies to cross the Channel.
On Wednesday, after spotting an empty dinghy floating motionlessly along the Channel, one of the migrants called rescue services. France and the United Kingdom launched a joint rescue operation with three boats and three helicopters. In the aftermath of the incident, however, both countries have exchanged blame for failing to take measures to deter such illegal crossings.
The nationalities and identities of the perished migrants remain unknown. However, the Times reported that one of the victims was an Afghan soldier who had assisted British armed forces and crossed the Channel after his family had “waited so long for help” from the UK.
Following the incident, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said that four people have been arrested in connection with the incident. He also said that two migrants remain hospitalised with severe hypothermia.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed his shock over the incident and urged France to address the increased human trafficking along the Channel. In response, Macron urged the UK to refrain from politicising the issue for its own domestic agendas.
Against this backdrop, Macron and Johnson discussed the need to step up “joint efforts to prevent these deadly crossings and to do everything possible to stop the gangs responsible for putting people’s lives at risk.” Furthermore, they asserted the importance of cooperating with other neighbouring countries, including Belgium and the Netherlands, to “tackle the problem effectively before people reach the French coast.”
The pair agreed that the loss of life was a “stark reminder” of the need to work assertively against the criminal gangs and human traffickers responsible for the lethal crossings along the Channel.
The English Channel has been a point of contention between the countries for several years now. It is one of the busiest shipping lanes, making it extremely important for both France and the UK’s economic activities.
Also Read: France, UK Collaborate to Stop Migrants from Crossing the English Channel
Recently, the Channel has seen a surge in illegal migrant crossings, with human traffickers overloading dinghies and forcing migrants to cross through strong currents to enter the UK. According to French authorities, 31,500 people have tried to cross the English Channel in 2021, with over 7,800 rescued at sea.