Xinhua
25 Nov 2021, 02:25 GMT+10
PARIS/LONDON, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Thirty-one migrants died Wednesday when their inflatable boat sank off Calais in northern France, the French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has announced. The boat had set out to cross the Channel to the United Kingdom.
The International Organisation for Migration said it was the biggest single loss of life in the Channel since it began collecting data in 2014.
"Around 2 p.m., a fisherman reported the discovery of about fifteen bodies floating off Calais," French radio France Info reported.
French President Emmanuel Macron ordered an "immediate reinforcement of resources for Frontex at the external boarders of the EU."
France will not let the Channel become a "cemetery," Macron said.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter that "I am shocked, appalled and deeply saddened by the loss of life at sea in the Channel. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. Now is the time for us all to step up, work together and do everything we can to stop these gangs who are getting away with murder."
Meanwhile, Darmanin arrived in Calais later in the evening, where he met with Mayor of Calais Natacha Bouchart in the hospital where the rescued migrants are being treated. He reaffirmed the criminal nature of the smugglers who organize these crossings.
The Dunkirk prosecutor's office has announced the opening of an investigation for "assistance for illegal entry in an organized group" and "aggravated manslaughter."
The British government announced in July that it will overhaul its asylum system to make it a criminal offence to knowingly arrive in the country without permission.
In a report published on Nov. 19, the Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea said it had recorded 31,500 attempts to leave for Britain. And 7,800 migrants had been rescued since the beginning of the year, while seven people had died or disappeared.
Get a daily dose of Paris Guardian news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Paris Guardian.
More InformationMOSCOW, Russia: This week, Russia became the first country to officially recognize the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan since...
CAIRO, Egypt: This week, both Hamas and Israel shared their views ahead of expected peace talks about a new U.S.-backed ceasefire plan....
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Trump administration has made public a visa decision that would usually be kept private. It did this to send...
MADRID, Spain: Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota and his younger brother, André Silva, have died in a car accident in Spain. Spanish...
LONDON, U.K.: An unrelenting heatwave sweeping across Europe has pushed early summer temperatures to historic highs, triggering deadly...
President Donald Trump's plans to build a space-based Golden Dome missile defense shield have drawn immediate criticism from China,...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: With just weeks to spare before a potential government default, U.S. lawmakers passed a sweeping tax and spending...
PARIS, France: Fast-fashion giant Shein has been fined 40 million euros by France's antitrust authority over deceptive discount practices...
PALO ALTO/TEL AVIV: The battle for top AI talent has claimed another high-profile casualty—this time at Safe Superintelligence (SSI),...
FRANKLIN, Tennessee: Hundreds of thousands of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles are being recalled across the United States due to a potential...
REDMOND, Washington: Microsoft is the latest tech giant to announce significant job cuts, as the financial strain of building next-generation...
LONDON UK - U.S. stock markets were closed on Friday for Independence Day. Global Forex Markets Wrap Up Friday with Greeback Comeback...