First Fatal Incident for Refugees in the English Channel During Starmer's Era

Just a few days after Keir Starmer began his term as the new Prime Minister of the UK, another deadly incident occurred in the English Channel involving refugees. The new Prime Minister, despite canceling the plan to transfer refugees to Rwanda, has promised to control the entry of refugees into the UK via the English Channel. French officials reported on Friday the death of four refugees on the northern coast of France, stating that they, along with dozens of other refugees, attempted to illegally cross the English Channel to reach the UK. Jacques Brenan, the governor of the coastal region of Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France, said that a total of 56 refugees were on a boat, and the condition of 9 rescued refugees is critical and they are hospitalized. He added, 'With the tragedy this morning, unfortunately, a total of twenty refugees have lost their lives since the beginning of the year while trying to reach the UK in a small boat.' This official emphasized that the perpetrators of this incident are 'criminal networks that expose refugees to unnecessary risks by overcrowding them in a boat and sending them out to sea in very adverse weather conditions like this morning. This certainly carries the risk of death.' According to the commander of Boulogne-sur-Mer, only one refugee was wearing a life jacket on the ill-fated boat, and only a few had rubber tubes. Additionally, the engines of these boats are insufficient, increasing the risk of capsizing. Gert Le Bra, the prosecutor of the region, told the media that a judicial investigation has been opened against organized illegal gangs on charges of aiding illegal residency of foreigners that leads to their death risk. He added that these actions are criminal in nature and the perpetrators can be sentenced to 15 years in prison. The new UK Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, called the incident 'horrific' and pledged on social media platform X to work with Britain's international partners 'to pursue and dismantle dangerous smuggling networks.' However, despite legal actions, according to official UK statistics, more than 12,000 refugees, mostly from France, have illegally reached the shores of the UK from the beginning of this year until mid-last month. This figure represents an 18% increase compared to the same period last year. The four refugees who died on Friday were of 'Somali, Eritrean, and Ethiopian' nationalities, but several Iranian refugees have also lost their lives on this route in the past. The UK has stated that last year, Iranian refugees were the second largest group of refugees crossing the English Channel after Afghans. In 2021, 27 migrants, mostly Kurds aged 7 to 46, drowned in the English Channel, marking the deadliest year for the Channel in recent times.