Shipwreck in the English Channel: “the responsibility for these deaths lies with the French and British governments”.

Statement by Xavier Crombé, Head of Mission France for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), in response to the shipwreck off Boulogne-sur-Mer on 3 September, 2024: 

“We are shocked and angry at this latest tragedy in the Channel, in which at least 12 people have died and several are missing, according to the Préfecture Maritime. With at least 37 deaths, 2024 is the deadliest year in the Channel for 30 years. These deaths are not inevitable, but the tragic consequence of inhumane and absurd migration policies. 

“The responsibility for these deaths lies, first and foremost, with the French and British governments, whose policies prioritise border control over human lives. In addition to being costly and ineffective, the security policy contributes to making the journey of exiles ever more precarious and dangerous. 

“These tragic events are the result of actions by the French authorities, financed and supported by the United Kingdom, to prevent people from leaving. These actions are pointless, because the number of would-be exiles has not decreased; they are deadly, because the departures are taking place in haste and on board ever more heavily laden boats. 

“In a previous shipwreck in mid-July, at least nine exiles died as they were boarding, suffocating or being trampled underfoot on-board overloaded boats, or drowned in rivers or canals before even reaching the sea. 

The rhetoric of the fight against smugglers cannot be the only response to these tragedies. There is an urgent need to open up safe and legal migration routes between the UK and France, as well as at Europe's other external borders, in order to counter human trafficking and enable men, women and children to find refuge in the UK or Europe or join their families without risking their lives.”