Migrant boat crossings in the Channel: the human toll

Migrant boat crossings from France to the UK are seen by migrants as a lifeline, but are often a life threat

By Victoria Davies

August 27, 2024

Credits @FFHR.CZ

Many migrants and refugees pay people smugglers to take them across the English Channel in small boats as they hope for a better life in the UK – a possible lifeline. But migrant boat crossings are a continuing life threat to many.

In France, people smugglers typically assure migrants that the boats are safe, whereas generally the boats are flimsy, overcrowded and lack basic safety equipment. This often leads to them capsizing, with tragedies inevitable. These crossings are thus creating a humanitarian crisis.

In 2023, high numbers of migrants came from Iran, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Albania. The majority of migrants taking the hazardous journey are asylum seekers who seek sanctuary from war and persecution. In 2023, the majority of asylum seeker applications were from citizens of Afghanistan. Over 84,000 people claimed asylum in the UK in 2023. By law, asylum seekers/refugees must not be returned to a country where they would face persecution.

Migrant boat crossings – human suffering

Conditions can be treacherous in the English Channel, with strong currents and busy shipping lanes. Migrants suffer perilous journeys, sometimes tragically resulting in drownings, including that of children. Even if migrants survive the journey, harsh weather conditions can lead to hypothermia and other conditions. The physical strain of the journey can be immense; migrants may endure long hours at sea without adequate food, water or shelter. The psychological impact is another factor, especially for migrants who have suffered previous trauma, such as fleeing war, persecution or extreme poverty.

Migrants may also face political and public hostility upon reaching the UK, where media rhetoric and government policies can dehumanise them and neglect their need for protection and support. Recently, a UK hotel housing migrants was set on fire by rioters. Fortunately, no one inside the hotel was hurt, but a number of police officers were injured. Additionally, if migrants are successful in reaching the UK, they may then face legal uncertainties, risk of detention and the possibility of being sent back to their home countries.

Furthermore, migrants who become involved with boat smugglers are at risk of being forced into other dangerous situations. Some smugglers are also involved in criminal gangs.

Rescues

The UK Coastguard and Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) are the primary responders to small boat rescues in the Channel and they save lives by rescuing individuals from sinking or stranded vessels. The RNLI has faced criticism from some quarters for its role in rescuing migrants. Notably, Nigel Farage MP, leader of Reform UK, posted a tweet commenting that “RNLI was running a ‘migrant taxi service’,” implying that rescues were facilitating illegal immigration.

However, the volunteer lifeboat charity said it was “very proud” of its humanitarian work and that it would continue to respond to coastguard callouts to rescue at-risk Channel migrants in line with its legal duty under international maritime law. Since Farage posted his tweet, the RNLI has received a surge in donations of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

In spite of the risks, it would appear that in their plight, migrants remain undeterred by the obstacles they face in attempting to reach the UK.

The government’s response

The UK government has come under increasing pressure, driven by concern over immigration levels and national security, to find ways to stop the boat crossings. So far, measures include increased patrols in the English Channel to monitor and intercept small boats, and financial support given to France in their efforts to stop the crossings by, for example, increasing police presence along the French coastline.

 Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, has put forward plans for a new UK Border Security Command as an alternative to the last government’s proposal to send arrivals to Rwanda. This will effectively bring together the work of intelligence agencies, police, immigration enforcement and border force. She also announced that detention centres would be reopened to accommodate migrants who reach the UK.

Broader implications

An individual’s safety and wellbeing should be paramount. The government’s approach has been criticised; the measures are inhumane and may breach international law, particularly regarding the rights of refugees. Amnesty International’s Refugee & Migrant Rights Programme Director, Steve Valdez-Symonds, remarked: “People in urgent need – including those fleeing war and persecution in places like Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria and Iran – will keep coming to the UK and other countries and the government needs to establish safe routes that reduce the perils of dangerous border crossings and the risk of exploitation by ruthless smuggling gangs. This ‘securitised’ approach to asylum and immigration will simply deter and punish many of the people most in need of crossing borders, people who are therefore often most vulnerable to criminal exploitation.”

The human suffering associated with these crossings highlights broader issues, such as global inequality and conflict. The crisis reflects the desperate situations that drive people to risk everything for a chance at safety and a better life – a lifeline. It also calls for compassion throughout the international community in addressing the root causes of migration, improving rescue and support operations, and ensuring fair and humane treatment of all migrants, thus reducing the life threat.

Source: centralbylines.co.uk