Child among at least five migrants who died trying to cross English Channel

A search and rescue attempt was launched Wimereux, near Calais, this morning (Picture: Reuters)

At least five people have died while trying to cross the English Channel this morning.

One child, believed to be a four-year-old girl, is among the dead, according to a local charity.

Three men and a woman also died, the local government office said.

The vessel, carrying 110 migrants, was attempting to travel over the busy stretch of water after leaving from a patch of shoreline near the French town of Wimereux.

Local police were operating at a beach in the area today, with the French coast guard saying there were several ‘lifeless bodies’.

A spokesperson said it has been a ‘busy’ morning for crossings and its agents continued to be patrolling the sea.

Dany Patoux, who works for Bolougne-based migrant charity Osmose 62, said the girl who died was known well to them.

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He said: ‘We have photos with her, with a big smile on her face, in the hope of a better life.

‘But now, everything is ruined. Her father fell into our arms right away. He was crying, in a daze. He saw his little daughter die before his eyes.’

The boat left from the town of Wimereux in northern France (Picture: Metro Graphics)

Wimereux mayor Jean-Luc Dubaele blamed the British for the deaths, saying: ‘Five dead in January, five dead in April. What are we waiting for?

‘Why do the English welcome them? Why do they absolutely want to travel to England? These are the questions that need to be asked.’

The latest report of deaths in the Channel comes a day after Rishi Sunak’s plan to deport migrants to Rwanda was backed by the House of Lords.

An emergency medical services helicopter takes off from the Wimereux dike (Picture: Bernard Barron/AFP)

He had earlier admitted it would be another 10 to 12 weeks before the first flights taking asylum seekers to the central African country take off.

The PM has placed the flights at the centre of his effort to stop people from making the dangerous voyage in small boats.

He argues that potential migrants will be deterred from paying people smugglers to ferry them across the Channel if they won’t be allowed to settle in the UK upon arrival.

Asked about the reports from the Channel this morning during an appearance on Good Morning Britain today, illegal migration minister Michael Tomlinson said: ‘It is absolutely chilling to hear that.

‘We have had fatalities now in the Channel for nine consecutive months.’

The scheme, which has been in the works for more than two years, has come under heavy criticism from international bodies and rights groups.

Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, said: ‘This arrangement seeks to shift responsibility for refugee protection, undermining international cooperation and setting a worrying global precedent.’

Charities Freedom from Torture, Amnesty International, and Liberty described the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill as ‘a significant threat to the rule of law’.

A spokesman said: ‘This shameful Bill trashes the constitution and international law whilst putting torture survivors and other refugees at risk of an unsafe future in Rwanda.

‘No matter how many times the prime minister says so, we know this is not the will of the people.’

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