According to French regional authorities, eight people have perished overnight while attempting to cross the Channel from France to England. At the same time, the foreign secretary, David Lammy, stated that the government may follow Italy’s pattern and process asylum seekers in a third nation.
According to the French marine prefecture, there were around 59 persons on board the boat when it encountered difficulties off the coast of France, and 51 of those individuals were later rescued. The office of the public prosecutor in Boulogne-sur-Mer has initiated an investigation into the subject matter.
In response to the reports, Lammy stated in an interview with the BBC’s Sunday In the context of the Laura Kuenssberg program, the government has been “discussing how we go after those gangs, in cooperation upstream with other European partners.”
On Monday, Keir Starmer will travel to Italy to meet with Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, to discuss her efforts to address the issue, as well as the work that they have done, particularly with Albania.
Lammy stated, “They have a comprehensive scheme with Albania understanding that both the Albania route and the Channel and the southern Mediterranean are routes that migrants use.” Lammy was referring to the fact that Albania is one of the routes that migrants utilise. Therefore, it is only natural that we are interested in discussing the plans that Italy has established with Italy, not just with Albania, because it has resulted in a reduction in the number of people.
Lammy’s assertion that there was a possibility of a third-party scheme was not in accordance with government policy, according to a source from the Home Office, which is a hint that the administration is confused about the subject.
According to the source, “It is not something we are working on,” and they went on to say that Italy’s plan to process asylum seekers in Albania cannot be considered to have made a reduction in the number of people seeking refuge because it is not yet completely operational.
In August, Italy, which is the country that receives the highest number of migrants in the European Union, opened the first of two planned camps in the nearby country of Albania; however, it has not yet transported individuals to the camps.
To begin arriving at the camps, migrants will not begin to arrive until both camps are open and functioning properly.
A statement made by Starmer indicates that he is interested in the implementation of the policy, which stipulates that Albania will take asylum seekers on behalf of Italy while their claims are being processed.
According to the Pas-de-Calais prefecture, the deaths that took place over the night in the Channel occurred off the coast of Ambleteuse in northern France. A spokeswoman stated that a number of migrants had tragically lost their lives.
According to Jacques Billant, the prefect of Pas-de-Calais, “the boat was obviously torn on the rocks.” Eritrea, Sudan, Afghanistan, and Egypt were among the countries represented among those who were on board. There were a few survivors who were sent to hospitals in Boulogne and Calais.
The chief executive officer of the Refugee Council, Enver Solomon, stated that it would be “unforgivable” to treat the frequency and extent of loss of life with the sentiment that it was inevitable. He also encouraged the government to refrain from relying on enforcement in order to reduce the number of tiny boats.
“The solution does not consist solely of enforcement. People who are escaping war and persecution in countries such as Afghanistan, Syria, and Sudan in quest of safety are being coerced into entering the arms of smugglers because they are desperate. “Smugglers will respond to tougher policing by forcing these refugees to take greater risks, with more dangerous crossing points and more crowded boats,” he said. “This is how they will respond to the increased enforcement.”
Many more deadly crossings are expected to occur in the following weeks, according to ministers. Over the course of the past few years, September has emerged as one of the busiest months associated with illegal border crossings.
More than two hundred people were saved in just twenty-four hours over the course of Friday and Saturday alone, according to the maritime authorities, who stated on Saturday that there had been several attempts to make the dangerous passage in small boats in recent days.
This month, a boat that was transporting scores of passengers collapsed off the coast of northern France, resulting in the deaths of at least twelve people on that boat.
At the time of the accident, 25 individuals had already lost their lives on crossings, which is an increase from the 12 deaths that occurred in 2023.
Over the course of several years, the governments of France and the United Kingdom have consistently endeavoured to put a halt to the flow of individuals who pay smugglers thousands of euros per person for the journey to England from France aboard tiny boats.
Since the beginning of this year, more than 22,000 migrants have arrived in England by crossing the Channel, according to officials from the United Kingdom.