According to Reuters, five individuals, including a child, tragically lost their lives while attempting to cross the English Channel from France. This occurred shortly after Britain approved a bill aimed at deterring such perilous crossings by deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda.
One child, one woman, and three men lost their lives aboard a severely overcrowded small boat carrying approximately 110 individuals attempting to cross a highly trafficked shipping lane. The French coastguard is actively searching for any remaining survivors.
After becoming initially stranded on the shore, the boat set out to sea again. A crowd movement apparently occurred in the overloaded boat, causing several victims.
…a coastguard official said.
The exact number of individuals rescued or potentially missing was unknown to both the coast guard and police. A British border force vessel carrying over 20 migrants in life jackets was spotted off the coast of Dover, located approximately 20 miles (32 km) from French shores.
As explained, these attempts occurred following the passage of legislation in Britain’s parliament that enables the government to transfer asylum-seekers to Rwanda instead of allowing them to remain in Britain for processing.