French authorities have come under fire after a dinghy carrying hundreds of migrants was allowed to cross the English Channel, resulting in the deaths of five individuals.
The dinghy, which was carrying 112 people, encountered engine trouble shortly after departing from Plage des Allemands beach in Wimereux, near Boulogne, on Tuesday morning. In the ensuing panic, a seven-year-old girl, a woman, and three men lost their lives.
French naval officials intervened and removed 48 migrants from the vessel, taking them ashore. The remaining 58 migrants, who had restarted the engine, were escorted to British shores.
Tim Loughton, a former minister and member of the Government’s home affairs committee, condemned the incident as ‘incredibly irresponsible’ and questioned why the boat was not impounded and the migrants not prevented from continuing their journey to Britain.
The incident has sparked anger and raised questions about the handling of the migrant crisis by French authorities.
