France is not doing enough to prevent migrant deaths in the English Channel, an outgoing government minister has admitted in Paris.
Guillaume Kasbarian spoke out after eight men died in the latest small boat tragedy near Calais on Sunday.
Six survivors, including a 10-month-old baby, remained hospitalized Monday as the search for the human traffickers responsible continued.
This prompted Mr Kasbarian, the outgoing housing minister, to tell France Info radio: “With humility, we must recognise what we have not done enough and encourage those who want to do more in the future.
“These are terrible tragedies that raise questions of humanity, but also questions about our migration policy, the fight against human trafficking, against human traffickers.”
This is believed to be the inflatable boat that killed eight migrants trying to cross the Channel on Sunday.
At least eight migrants heading to the UK drowned yesterday after the boat (pictured) ran into trouble in the Channel.
The rescue came after French authorities rescued around 200 people off the coast of Calais over a 24-hour period between Friday and Saturday night. (File image of migrants being taken to Dover as they tried to reach the UK earlier this month)
The mea culpa represents a marked shift in French reactions to small boat disasters, but President Emmanuel Macron’s ministers have generally blamed the British for the rising death toll.
“I hope we can overcome our divisions,” Kasbarian said, “and be as humane and firm as possible on the issue of migration.”
France has been in a state of political paralysis for the past two months after a snap election resulted in a hung parliament.
Macron appointed Michel Barnier, a former EU Brexit negotiator, as his new prime minister earlier this month, but Barnier has yet to form a new government.
Asked what Mr Barnier’s migration policies should be, Mr Kasbarian replied: “I will be careful not to give moral lessons at such a tragic moment.”
A criminal investigation has been launched after eight hitherto unidentified men died on Sunday on the beach at Ambleteuse, near Calais.
They were among 59 migrants bound for the UK who were crammed into a flimsy boat that “broke apart” when it hit rocks.
A UK government spokesman said French authorities were leading the investigation.
“We can confirm that there has been an incident in the Channel involving a small vessel in French waters,” the spokesman said at the time.
“French authorities are leading the response and investigation. We will not be commenting further at this time.”
Fewer than 10 people were wearing life jackets on a boat organised by people smugglers who charged up to £1,000 per person for illegal passage from France to the UK.
Those on board were from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iran, local prefect Jacques Billant said, without identifying anyone.
The Ambleteuse disaster occurred shortly after 1am and, six hours later, another group of migrants set off for exactly the same place.
An emergency worker said: ‘The bodies were being taken to a slipway at Ambleteuse, however at 7am a second boat departure also took place from there.
“Boats have been going out to the area all weekend and there have been uninterrupted rescues.”
Sunday’s death toll means 46 migrants have died in the English Channel in similar circumstances this year alone.
A group of people believed to be migrants are taken to Dover, Kent, from a Border Force boat following an incident with a small boat in the Channel. Pictured: 4 September 2024
The Channel is one of the busiest shipping routes in the world and the currents are strong, making crossing it in small boats dangerous. (File image of migrants being taken to Dover as they attempt to reach the UK earlier this month)
In April, a criminal investigation was also launched following the deaths of five migrants, including a child, in the nearby town of Wimereux.
Five migrants also drowned while trying to reach Britain from Wimereux beach on 14 January.
The furious mayor of Wimereux has repeatedly argued that such tragedies are the fault of the British.
Jean-Luc Dubaele said in April: ‘Britain is responsible for the ships crossing the English Channel and the deaths that occur at sea.
‘The English pay us to stop the boats that leave, but they take care of the immigrants when they reach their shores.
‘The English give them accommodation, food, a bank account and allow them to work without regulation.’
Earlier this month, six children and a pregnant woman also died after a boat “broke apart” and sank in the waters off Wimereux.
The migrants were seen wearing a mix of different types of life jackets as they arrived and were taken to the immigration processing centre, while a bus full of asylum seekers left for the main centre in Manston.
The worst such tragedy occurred in November 2021, when 27 migrants died after a boat sank while en route to the UK – the highest recorded number of deaths in a single incident.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged this summer to “strengthen cooperation” to fight people traffickers.
Last week, Starmer insisted his government was “making progress” in stopping the ships.
The Prime Minister said he was “convinced” that Labour can succeed in “smashing the gangs” behind people trafficking, as he attended a summit with law enforcement agencies and security services on the issue.
But shadow home secretary James Cleverly said: “Not even 12 tragic deaths can wake up the Labour Party to the need for a real plan to end small craft crossing the Channel.”
Visiting the National Crime Agency with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on 6 September, Sir Keir was asked how he could claim there was encouraging progress given the latest figures.
He told the BBC: “We have already managed to repatriate more than 3,000 people who had no right to be here.”
‘That includes the largest exclusive flight we’ve ever had.
“We are making progress, but I recognize that there is still much to do.