4 die as boat carrying migrants capsizes in English Channel

London, December 14

A small boat laden with migrants capsized in the English Channel on Wednesday, killing four and increasing calls on the British government to prevent people from risking their lives trying to cross one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

As per sources, 43 people were rescued, with more than 30 of those pulled from the water. The operation was coordinated by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency and included personnel from both Britain and France. “Investigations are ongoing and we will provide further information in due course,” the government said in a statement. “This is a truly tragic incident.”

Some 44,000 people have made the journey so far this year, compared to 23,000 in all of last year and 8,500 in 2020, according to government figures. Sunak pledged on Tuesday to clear the backlog of asylum applications and announced measures aimed at curbing the number of migrants crossing the Channel. He planned to introduce legislation to ensure people who arrive illegally cannot remain in the country. — AP