More deaths in the English Channel underline the risks to migrants, despite British efforts to stem the tide

The ship was just one of several small boats packed with people that set sail from the French coast early on Tuesday as calm weather tempted them to attempt the crossing. The overcrowded boats are being monitored by drones, French maritime authorities said.

Just hours earlier, the British Parliament passed legislation allowing the government to deport to Rwanda those entering the country illegally. While Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says the plan will deter people from risking their lives on the channel, human rights groups have criticized the channel as illegal and inhumane.

“If you look at what is happening, criminal gangs are exploiting vulnerable people; they are putting more and more people into these unseaworthy dinghies,” Sunak told reporters during a trip to Poland. “That’s why, more than anything else, we need compassion to actually break this business model and put an end to the dishonesty of people who come to our country illegally.”

The number of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats has soared in recent years as people fleeing war, the effects of climate change and economic uncertainty seek a better life in Britain. They pay smugglers thousands of dollars for the crossing, hoping to reunite with relatives or find work in a country where immigration enforcement is seen as weak and where migrant groups from around the world can easily blend into society.

Human rights groups say the way to end human trafficking is for countries to work together to provide safe and legal routes for migrants, not for countries like Britain to erect barriers and outsource their problem to others.

But even allies Britain and France are struggling to coordinate efforts enough to reduce the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats. Britain has signed a series of deals with France to increase beach patrols and share intelligence to disrupt smugglers – all of which have had only a limited impact.

Britain’s attempt to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda was quickly condemned by both the United Nations refugee agency and the Council of Europe, which called on Britain to reconsider its plans.

“The new legislation marks a further step away from Britain’s long tradition of providing shelter to those in need, in violation of the Refugee Convention,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said in a statement. “Protecting refugees requires that all countries – and not just neighboring crisis areas – fulfill their obligations.”

Small boat crossings are a major political issue in Britain, where they are seen as evidence of the government’s inability to control immigration.

Sunak has made his plan to “stop the boats” a key campaign promise, with his Conservative Party trailing badly in the opinion polls ahead of the general election later this year.

The number of migrants arriving in Britain on small boats rose from just 299 in four years to 45,774 in 2022. The number fell to 29,437 last year as the government cracked down on people smugglers and reached a deal to return Albanians to their homes. home country.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson first proposed the Rwanda plan more than two years ago, when he reached a deal with the East African nation to take in some asylum seekers in return for millions of pounds (dollars) in aid. Implementation has been held up by a series of legal challenges and opposition from migrant advocates who say it violates international law.

The deportees are eligible for asylum in Rwanda but are not allowed to return to Britain.

The legislation approved early Tuesday, known as the Safety of Rwanda Bill, is a response to a British Supreme Court decision that blocked deportation flights because the government could not guarantee the safety of migrants sent to Rwanda. After signing a new treaty with Rwanda to strengthen the protection of migrants, the government proposed new legislation declaring Rwanda a safe country.

The Rwandan government welcomed the passage of the bill, saying it underlines the work it has done to make Rwanda “safe” since the genocide that ravaged the country three decades ago.

“We are committed to the migration and economic development partnership with Britain and look forward to welcoming those who have moved to Rwanda,” government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said.

Surk reported from Nice, France. Associated Press writer Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali, Rwanda contributed to this report.

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