Former UK Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick has condemned the European Union’s failure to allow member states to seize unsafe dinghies used by migrants attempting to cross the English Channel. Jenrick described the loss of five lives in the early hours of Wednesday, including a child, a woman, and three men, as “another intolerable tragedy.”
The victims were attempting to cross from an area near the French town of Wimereux when they perished. According to local newspaper La Voix du Nord, the incident occurred during a busy crossing morning, with several attempts reported.
An emergency operation was launched by the French coastguard, but by 11am, at least five people were confirmed drowned off the coast at Boulogne sur Mer. Jenrick placed the blame for the tragedy on the European Union, accusing the bloc of preventing member states from using health and safety laws to seize small boats before they set off.
He asserted that it was a “scandal” that “death traps” were being allowed to travel uninterrupted. “The EU must finally grant member states legal cover to seize these unseaworthy boats that are costing precious lives,” Jenrick wrote on social media. “The EU talk about ‘intensifying the fight against people smugglers,’ but their actions never match their rhetoric. We have strong intelligence. The issue is their legal framework that prevents seizures.”
Jenrick warned that more preventable deaths would occur unless the EU amended its legal framework. The incident underscores the ongoing challenges and dangers faced by migrants attempting to cross the English Channel, and highlights the need for humane and effective solutions to address the issue.
