What happened ?
The drama took place on a "long boat", a fragile inflatable boat with a flexible bottom, the use of which by smugglers has increased since the summer. The boat had left Dunkirk, according to a source familiar with the matter and was probably struck by a cargo ship, according to
La Voix du Nord
and
La Dépêche
. “
Around 2 pm, a fisherman reported the discovery of about fifteen bodies floating off Calais. A building of the National Navy recovered several bodies, including five dead people and five unconscious, according to a provisional report,
”said the Ministry of the Interior. Two helicopters and three boats were notably dispatched during the rescue.
"
We recovered six bodies adrift
", in water at 17 ° C, for his part told Charles Devos, the boss of the star Notre-Dame du Risban, of the SNSM of Calais, describing "
an inflatable boat downright deflated
”.
"
They have makeshift boats of the pneumatic zodiac type, which are about 10 meters long, but where unfortunately there are fifty of them on board,
" he also lamented to AFP.
A source close to the case has indeed indicated that about fifty people were present on board the boat.
SEE ALSO -
"It's a real group murder": these SNSM volunteers testify after the death of 27 migrants in the Channel
Who are the victims ?
French President Emmanuel Macron initially announced a death toll of 31, but it was lowered to 27 by the Interior Ministry.
Among the victims are 17 men, including two who died in hospital, seven women and "
three young people
", whose exact age is still unknown, Lille prosecutor Carole Étienne told AFP.
Read also Calais: around fifty people gathered in tribute to deceased migrants
Two survivors, "
apparently Somali and Iraqi
", were also hospitalized and should be able to be heard shortly, she said.
The nationalities of the 27 victims are not yet known, but
La Voix du Nord
claims that they are from the Middle East.
The rescue ships bringing back the victims docked in the evening in the port of Calais.
The remains were transferred overnight to the Lille forensic institute for an autopsy.
The search was halted overnight.
Where is the investigation?
The Interregional Specialized Jurisdiction (JIRS) of Lille was seized of the investigation, opened for “
assistance with the irregular entry and stay in an organized group
”, “
homicide and involuntary injuries
” and “
criminal association
”.
The border police, the maritime gendarmerie and the Central Office for the Suppression of Irregular Immigration and the Employment of Untitled Foreigners (Ocriest) are seized, according to a police source.
The wreckage was seized and will be examined to clarify the causes of the sinking, said the prosecutor.
Read alsoMigrants: a vast criminal network of smugglers dismantled in Calaisis
Four suspected smugglers were arrested late Wednesday afternoon on suspicion of having a connection to the tragedy. A fifth person was also arrested overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said on RTL. This person had "
a German license plate
" and had "
bought zodiacs in Germany
", revealed the minister. "
Since January 1, we have arrested 1500 smugglers
", also assured Gerald Darmanin, who operate as "
mafia organizations
" and "
are
organized crime
", with the use of "
encrypted phones
". For his part, Emmanuel Macron praised the "
mobilization of 600 police officers and gendarmes
”since the beginning of the year, which allowed the arrest of“
1552 smugglers
”and the dismantling of“
44 networks of smugglers
”on the North coast.
SEE ALSO -
Gérald Darmanin announces the arrest of "4 smugglers suspected" of being linked to the wrecked boat
How is the French government reacting?
"
France will not let the Channel become a cemetery
", reacted Emmanuel Macron after the tragedy. He promised that everything would be "done
to find and condemn those responsible
" for this shipwreck off the coast of Calais, described as "
tragedy
" by Prime Minister Jean Castex. The latter convened this Thursday morning, at 8:30 am, an emergency interministerial meeting, where the Ministers of the Interior, Justice, the Armed Forces, the Sea, Transport, Foreign Affairs, the Sea were present, of Transport, Foreign Affairs, as well as the Secretary of State for Europe, according to Matignon. Gérald Darmanin in particular promised to make "
new proposals for means
" to fight against smuggling networks.
Read also Shipwreck in the Channel: British media call for more "cooperation" with France
In a press release, the President of the Republic called for "
immediate reinforcement of the resources of the Frontex agency at the external borders
".
In an interview with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the two men "
agreed on the urgency of stepping up joint efforts to prevent these deadly crossings
," a Downing Street spokesperson told AFP.
They also insisted on "
the importance of close collaboration with Belgian and Dutch neighbors as well as with partners on the continent
".
How many crossings attempted in 2021?
Attempts to cross the Channel on board small boats have doubled in the past three months, the maritime prefect of the Channel and the North Sea, Philippe Dutrieux, had recently warned. The tragedy, feared by the authorities and associations, is by far the deadliest since the soaring, in 2018, of the migratory crossings of the Channel, in the face of the growing lockdown of the port of Calais and the Eurotunnel used until then by migrants trying to reach England.
As of November 20, 31,500 migrants had left the coast since the start of the year and 7,800 migrants had been rescued.
A trend that has not abated despite the winter temperatures.
For his part, Emmanuel Macron put forward the figure of "
47,000 attempted crossings since January 1
".
According to London, 22,000 migrants made the crossing over the first ten months of the year.
Before this sinking, the human toll since January amounted to three dead and four missing, after six dead and three missing in 2020.
What solutions are envisaged to prevent such a tragedy from happening again?
This morning, France and the United Kingdom are blaming each other for this tragedy, which they attribute jointly to the smugglers but also to the policies of each. A consensus nevertheless stands out on the imperative need for closer collaboration between the two countries. In this sense, the British government has offered France joint police patrols on the French coast along the Channel. According to Tom Pursglove, British Secretary of State for Immigration, Boris Johnson reiterated, during the telephone interview with Emmanuel Macron, this proposal previously rejected by Paris for reasons of sovereignty. "
I really hope that the French will reconsider this proposal,
" the government member told the BBC.
