According to a devastating French study, both the French and British coastguards shrugged off responsibility for saving a dinghy in distress in the English Channel prior to a drowning that took 31 lives as well as the life of an unborn child.
The night of November 24, 2021, saw the worst drowning of migrants across the English Channel when a rubber dinghy carrying 34 people sunk following multiple cries for assistance to rescue personnel on both sides of the Channel.
According to Sky News, a preliminary inquiry conducted by a law company on behalf of some of the relatives turned out correspondence between the British and French emergency services that seem to indicate neither side accepted blame for the catastrophe as it was developing.
According to reports, the frantic dinghy made 80 individual phone calls over the harrowing six to seven hours of blame-shifting as both parties washed their hands of the situation.
The study presents a damning picture of neglect as the dinghy capsized in rough waters without help for up to seven hours, drawing on testimony from the two survivors, phone conversations, texts, and emails.
According to the article, the first call to both the English and French rescue services reportedly started at around two in the morning and continued for around two hours as terrified passengers begged to be saved.
The French investigation states that “a few minutes after this initial communication, the French rescue services again requested the vessel’s position.”
The ship was then in English waters, according to the report. The English rescue team was then informed of the location by the French rescue team, who then informed them that it was their duty to assist the boat.
The French coastguard’s Cross Gris Nez gave the English rescue crew a number to contact, but the tone of the call suggested that the boat was in French waters.
Therefore, they believed that the Cross Gris Nez was responsible for providing relief.
Twana Mamand Mohammad’s brother, Zana Mamand Mohammad, blamed France, Britain, and the trafficking organisation that brought the victims to their deaths for the catastrophe.
The coastguards or emergency services of both countries were negligent in their failure to respond to the migrants’ cries for assistance after they (the migrants) had made contact with them and notified them of their predicament.
They did inform them that they required assistance.
I believe that the smugglers, France, and Britain each receive a portion of the blame for the crime, but the court will determine who receives the greater and lesser proportion.
“Smugglers are the biggest offenders; they are the main perpetrators.”
However, it is also true that the boat remained in the ocean for six hours while making 80 calls to Britain and France. Britain and France are both accountable.
Through the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, the UK is conducting its own investigation.
Despite the tragedy, the number of migrants travelling across has increased significantly; this year, 15,000 migrants have already done so, 1,600 of them arrived in the last ten days.
According to government figures, the number of migrant crossings this year is on track to break the previous record, with the figure in July already being a third higher than the similar figure at this time last year.