UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Refugee Council has urged the Home Office to propose a refugee visa scheme to reduce the risk of deaths in the Channel, following record figures of fatalities.
A report issued by the Refugee Council on Thursday, titled “Deaths in the Channel – What Needs to Change,” reveals a significant proposal to stop migrants from using people smugglers.
The report highlights the risk of more deaths this year if no new measures are implemented. It urges both the UK and French officials for better documentation of fatalities by adding the victim’s age, nationality, and gender. Moreover, this report also advocates for enhanced search and rescue operations along the northern France coast.
As reported by The Guardian, around 69 individuals died while trying to cross the Channel in 2024, exceeding the total of 59 deaths between 2019 and 2023. Experts fear that the real count of deaths may be higher.
The UK-funded police crackdown on northern French beaches has made boarding overcrowded dinghies riskier and more chaotic, with reports of police using teargas and knives to stop people from crossing.
With chaos along the shoreline, some people attempted to get on boats without first paying smugglers. The fatalities took place nearer to France in 2024.
According to an analysis by the Press Association, Channel crossings rose by 25% in 2024 compared to 2023, with 36,816 people arriving. This marks the second-largest total since 2018, but still lower than the 2022 figures of 45,774.
Though Channel crossings increased in 2024, spanning two government administrations, ministers insist they are making efforts against tackling people smuggling. Still, they have dismissed proposals for safe and legal emigrant routes.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council stated, “The record number of deaths in the Channel this year should serve as a stark reminder that the current approach is not working.”
The council also raised concerns over the lack of official data on the number of deaths of those trying to reach the UK, with numbers estimated from press releases, media reports, and local organization’s reports.
The report stated, “While data has occasionally been released in response to parliamentary questions or freedom of information requests, there are no regularly released statistics.”
Mr Solmon said, “Smuggling gangs are profiting from men, women and children forced into life-threatening conditions, and enforcement measures alone are not enough to address this.”
He added, “The Government needs to take a different approach if it is to ensure everything possible is done so that 2025 does not see a repeat of last year’s devastating loss.”
The Refugee Council, in its report, highlights a US approach under President Biden, which involved stricter border enforcement and a sponsorship initiative for 532,000 migrants, alongside 24,000 new refugee spots. This strategy significantly decreased irregular entries to the US, from 200,000 per month in 2022 and 2023 to 54,000 by last September.
The organization suggests that the pilot refugee visa scheme should focus on nations with high refugee approval numbers, such as Eritrea, Sudan, and Afghanistan.
A tragic incident happened on 3 September 2024, where one pregnant woman and 6 children lost their lives. Meanwhile, some witnesses revealed the actual number of fatalities could be 15. A child who made the crossing on 19 July 2024 has described seeing another child fall overboard and drown.
A spokesperson from the Home Office stated, “Every life lost at sea is a tragedy, which is why our efforts are focused on saving lives, as well as protecting our borders.”
The government’s border security bill, which is expected to come in a few weeks, also proposed a plan to put restrictions on smugglers for using electronic devices like laptops & mobile phones and also ban them from travelling and using social media accounts.
Insiders from the Home Office, previously stated the rise in crossing is due to more clear weather days.