France Slammed for ‘Helping Illegal Migration’ After Telling Packed Migrant Boat to Wait for UK Rescue
A source asked why the French took only some migrants back but didn’t take the whole boat. French authorities have been blamed for helping illegal migration by leaving a packed migrant boat in the Channel for the UK Border Force to rescue.
According to The Sun, French officials told about 80 people on the dinghy that British rescuers would arrive in an hour or less. The boat was overcrowded and could have flipped over before help arrived.
This happened earlier in the year when many migrants were crossing the Channel. The boat left from Gravelines, near Calais. French authorities took about 24 people off the boat for safety but allowed the rest to keep going.
Tory MP Chris Philp said France should stop the boats near their coast and take them back. He believes that doing this would stop people from trying to cross and gathering in camps near Calais. He also said the UK made a big mistake by stopping the Rwanda plan before it even started.
So far, over 4,000 migrants have arrived in small boats since early March, including 357 people on six dinghies in one day. In total this year, 6,406 people have made it to the UK on 115 boats – nearly 40% more than last year. At least seven people are believed to have died crossing the Channel.
One man, Mohammed Al Adiroos, 24, from Yemen, said he was one of the migrants removed from the boat. He said the boat was already in British waters when he was turned back, and his phone even showed a “Welcome to the UK” message. He confirmed that French officers told those left on board that help was coming soon.
The UK Home Office said they want to stop dangerous boat crossings that put lives at risk and weaken border security. A new law will make it a crime to risk lives during these crossings. They also said they’re working with France to stop the boats as early as possible to help save lives.
