Manslaughter investigation under way after migrant dies trying to reach UK

A manslaughter investigation is under way in France after a migrant died following a boat sinking in the English Channel.

French prosecutors say the man – aged between 25 and 30 – was among 36 people including families aboard the boat when it got into difficulty about 13 miles off the coast of Dunkirk on Thursday morning.

He was pulled unconscious on to a lifeboat by crew from a passing cargo ship and airlifted to hospital in cardio-respiratory arrest but did not survive.

Other people from the sinking vessel were hoisted aboard the helicopter while more were rescued by nearby fishing boats.

Charities said the tragedy is a “sobering reminder” of the struggles faced by refugees and that the death should be a “wake-up” call for Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Meanwhile, more suspected migrants were brought to the port of Dover in Kent on Friday after crossing the Channel.

Labour’s shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said: “Conservative ministers must urgently get to grips of this situation, get a meaningful deal in place with France that stops organised crime gangs profiting from vulnerable people and address the factors that are driving people to take these incredibly dangerous routes.”

The Home Office’s clandestine channel threat commander Dan O’Mahoney said the loss of life “underlines the terrible dangers of small boat crossings and why we must work together with the French”.

At least 155 people were intercepted by French authorities and returned to the continent on Thursday.

The Home Office has yet to confirm how many people succeeded in crossing the Dover Strait to the UK but a number of boats are reported to have landed on Kent beaches.

An investigation for endangering lives and manslaughter has been launched by the Dunkirk public prosecutor following Thursday’s boat sinking.

The man who died has not yet been publicly identified but the prosecutor’s office said he is aged between 25 and 30 and of African descent.

The prosecutor confirmed that 36 people including families had been aboard the boat when it got into difficulty in the Channel as it headed to the UK.

Steve Valdez-Symonds, refugee and migrant rights director at Amnesty International UK, said: “We are deeply saddened by this loss of life and our thoughts are with the family and friends who have lost their loved one.

“The Home Office must take this as an urgent wake-up call.”

Lisa Doyle, director of advocacy and engagement at the Refugee Council, said: “This tragic loss of life is a sobering reminder that the odds are stacked against ordinary men, women and children, who are desperately struggling for safety and protection.”

So far, more than 10,000 people have made the perilous crossing aboard small boats, data compiled by the PA news agency shows.

Crossings in 2021 have already eclipsed last year’s annual total of 8,417 and that total continues to rise on fair weather days.