France does not do enough to prevent migrant deaths in the English Channel, an outgoing government minister in Paris has admitted.
Guillaume Kasbarian was speaking after eight men perished in the latest small boat tragedy near Calais on Sunday.
On Monday, six survivors including a 10-month-old baby remained in hospital as a hunt continued for the people smugglers responsible.
It led to Mr Kasbarian, the outgoing Housing Minister, telling France Info radio station: ‘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, which raise questions of humanity, but also questions about our migration policy, the fight against trafficking, against people smugglers’.
This is believed to be the inflatable dinghy which led to the death of eight migrants trying to cross the Channel on Sunday
At least eight UK-bound migrants drowned yesterday after the dinghy (pictured) got into trouble on the Channel
It comes as French authorities rescued some 200 people off the coast of Calais over a 24-hour period between Friday and Saturday night. (File image of migrants being brought to Dover as they attempted to reach the UK earlier this month)
The mea culpa represents a marked change in French reactions to small boat disasters – however, President Emmanuel Macron’s ministers have usually blamed the British for the rising death toll.
‘I hope that we will be able to overcome our divisions,’ said Mr Kasbarian. ‘To be both as humane and as firm as possible on migration issue.’
France has been in a state of political paralysis over the past two months, after a snap election produced a hung parliament.
Mr Macron appointed Michel Barnier, the former EU Brexit negotiator, as his new prime minister earlier this month, but Mr Barnier has yet to form a new government.
Asked what Mr Barnier’s migration policies should be, Mr Kasbarian said: ‘I will be careful not to give moral lessons at such a tragic time.’
A criminal enquiry was launched after eight so far unidentified men died by the beach at Ambleteuse, near Calais, on Sunday.
All were among 59 UK-bound migrants crammed into a flimsy dinghy which was ‘ripped apart’ when it hit rocks.
A UK Government spokesperson said French authorities are leading the investigation.
‘We can confirm there has been an incident in the Channel involving a small boat in French waters,’ the spokesperson said at the time.
‘French authorities are leading the response and investigation. We will not be commenting further at this stage.’
Less than 10 people on board had life jackets on inside a boat organised by people smugglers charging up to £1000-a-head for an illegal passage from France to the UK.
Those on board came from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iran, said local prefect Jacques Billant, without further identifying anyone.
The disaster at Ambleteuse took place just after 1am and – within six hours – another group of migrants were setting off in exactly the same location.
An emergency worker said: ‘Bodies were being taken up on to a ramp at Ambleteuse, yet, by 7am, a second boat departure took place there too.
‘Boats have been setting off in the area throughout the weekend – there have been non-stop rescues.’
Sunday’s death toll means 46 migrants have perished in the English Channel in similar circumstances this year alone.
A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, from a Border Force vessel following a small boat incident in the Channel. Pictured September 4, 2024
The Channel is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and currents are strong, making the crossing on small boats dangerous. (File image of migrants being brought to Dover as they attempted to reach the UK earlier this month)
In April, a criminal enquiry was also launched following the deaths of five migrants including a little girl around nearby Wimereux.
Five migrants also drowned while trying to get to Britain from Wimereux beach on January 14.
The furious Mayor of Wimereux has frequently argued that such tragedies are all the fault of the British.
Jean-Luc Dubaele said in April: ‘It is Britain that is responsible for the boats setting off across the English Channel and the deaths that occur in the sea.
‘The English pay us to stop the boats setting off but they look after the migrants when they arrive on their shores.
‘The English give them accommodation, food, a bank account, and let them work without regulation.’
Earlier this month, six children and a pregnant woman also died after a boat was ‘ripped apart’ and sank in the waters off Wimereux.
The migrants were seen wearing a mix of different types of lifejackets when they arrived and were taken into the immigration processing centre – as a coachload of asylum seekers left for the main centre at Manston.
The worst tradgedy of this kind came in November 2021, when 27 migrants died after a dinghy sank while heading to the UK – the highest recorded number of deaths from a single incident.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged this summer to ‘strengthen cooperation’ to fight the people smugglers.
Starmer last week insisted his Government was ‘making progress’ in stopping boats.
The Prime Minister said he was ‘convinced’ Labour can succeed in ‘taking down the gangs’ behind the people-smuggling trade, as he attended a summit with law enforcement agencies and security services on the issue.
But shadow home secretary James Cleverly said: ‘Even 12 tragic deaths cannot wake Labour up to the need for an actual plan to put a stop to the small boats crossing the Channel.’
Visiting the National Crime Agency with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on September 6, Sir Keir was asked how he could claim there is encouraging progress given the latest figures.
He told the BBC: ‘We’ve already managed to return over 3,000 people who are not entitled to be here.
‘That includes the single biggest dedicated flight that we’ve ever had.
‘So we are making progress. I acknowledge more needs to be done.
