Post UK Deportation Bill: 5 Migrants Die While Crossing the English Channel

5 migrants die hours after UK approves deportation bill while crossing the English Channel to England from Paris.

Five people, including a child, died while attempting to cross the English Channel from France to the United Kingdom on Tuesday, just hours after the British government approved a migrant bill that would deport some of those who entered the country illegally to Rwanda.

The prefecture in charge of northern France said in a statement that authorities spotted several boats packed with migrants off the coast of Pas-de-Calais attempting to depart early in the morning.

Several French navy ships, including the assistance and rescue tug Abeille Normandie, intervened to rescue “a very overcrowded boat carrying more than one hundred people on board,” according to an emailed statement to The Associated Press.

“They rescued several people, but unfortunately, five people have died,” the statement said.

According to regional prefect Jacques Billant, one woman, three men, and a seven-year-old girl died. He stated that the boat carrying 112 people attempted to sail off the Wimereux beach.

Main Reports Regarding The Incident

According to the regional newspaper Voix du Nord, the bodies were discovered on the beach on Tuesday morning. Approximately 100 migrants were rescued and transported aboard a French navy ship. They will be taken to the port of Boulogne, according to the newspaper.

It came just hours after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s latest attempt to send migrants to Rwanda was finally approved by Parliament. The United Kingdom government intends to deport some of those who enter the country illegally in order to deter migrants from risking their lives in leaky, inflatable boats in the hope of claiming asylum once they arrive.

Human rights organizations have characterized the legislation as inhumane and cruel. The United Nations refugee agency and the Council of Europe urged the United Kingdom to reconsider its plans on Tuesday, fearing they would jeopardize international cooperation in addressing the global migrant crisis.

Migrants attempting to cross the congested English Channel face drowning and sinking, among other deadly incidents, often on overcrowded boats.

According to UK government figures, an estimated 30,000 people crossed in 2023.

READ ALSO: UK Approves Bill To Send Asylum Seekers To Rwanda