An inflatable boat, life vests and other remains left on a sand dune of the Wimereux beach, northern France. AFP
An inflatable boat, life vests and other remains left on a sand dune of the Wimereux beach, northern France. AFP
An inflatable boat, life vests and other remains left on a sand dune of the Wimereux beach, northern France. AFP
An inflatable boat, life vests and other remains left on a sand dune of the Wimereux beach, northern France. AFP

Aid group suing coastguard over Channel deaths says migrants in peril are ‘laughed at’


Simon Rushton
  • English
  • Arabic

An aid group suing the French and British coastguards over the deaths of 27 migrants in the English Channel claims people calling for help were “laughed at” by rescuers on a voyage days earlier.

Utopia 56, a French volunteer group, filed manslaughter charges against authorities on both sides of the Channel over the tragedy on November 24.

It accused coastguards of failing to help the struggling migrants despite distress calls from the flimsy boat, which deflated and capsized in the water.

The lawsuit is intended to “remind our governments that it is urgent to question the policies at our borders, which take human lives every day”, Utopia 56 spokesman Nikolai Posner said.

The group cited a separate incident four days earlier in which another group of migrants were said to have received similarly short shrift from rescuers.

“If I call 999, they say call France,” one migrant was quoted as saying in a voice message from the boat, referring to the British emergency number.

“When we call France, they tell us to contact the United Kingdom. They’re both laughing at us.”

It was separately announced on Monday that 16 of the victims of the deadly journey on November 24 would be repatriated to Iraqi Kurdistan this week.

This month, 26 victims were formally identified, including seven women, a teenager and a 7-year-old girl. The identity of one person remains unknown. It was the worst migrant shipwreck on record in the Channel.

In the aftermath of the disaster, two survivors gave accounts to Kurdish media of distress calls going unanswered as their boat deflated.

Utopia 56 said it “intends that investigations be carried out to determine the responsibilities of the French and British rescue services in this tragedy”.

It accused the French maritime prefect of the Channel and North Sea, the Regional Operational Centre for Surveillance and Rescue of Gris-Nez in the Pas-de-Calais department, and the UK’s coastguard, of failures that contributed to the disaster.

Migrants were abandoned to their fate “despite calls to the English and French rescue services”, the group claimed. The British side appeared not to be investigating at all, it said.

  • Migrants are brought ashore at Dungeness by RNLI Lifeboat members after crossing the Channel. Reuters
    Migrants are brought ashore at Dungeness by RNLI Lifeboat members after crossing the Channel. Reuters
  • The past three years have seen a significant rise in attempted Channel crossings by migrants, despite the dangers. AFP
    The past three years have seen a significant rise in attempted Channel crossings by migrants, despite the dangers. AFP
  • Migrants on board a Border Force rescue boat line up to disembark at Dover harbour after crossing the Channel. Reuters
    Migrants on board a Border Force rescue boat line up to disembark at Dover harbour after crossing the Channel. Reuters
  • A life jacket is left in the water after a group of more than 40 migrants got on an inflatable dinghy to leave the coast of northern France and cross the Channel. Reuters
    A life jacket is left in the water after a group of more than 40 migrants got on an inflatable dinghy to leave the coast of northern France and cross the Channel. Reuters
  • Migrants are escorted by Border Force staff in Dungeness, after being brought ashore by an RNLI lifeboat. Reuters
    Migrants are escorted by Border Force staff in Dungeness, after being brought ashore by an RNLI lifeboat. Reuters
  • A woman with a child is brought ashore safely. Reuters
    A woman with a child is brought ashore safely. Reuters
  • Migrants walk along a British beach after being brought ashore by an RNLI lifeboat. Reuters
    Migrants walk along a British beach after being brought ashore by an RNLI lifeboat. Reuters
  • At least 27 migrants bound for Britain died on Wednesday when their boat sank in the English Channel. AP
    At least 27 migrants bound for Britain died on Wednesday when their boat sank in the English Channel. AP
  • French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin speaks to the press in Calais, northern France, after the tragedy. AP
    French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin speaks to the press in Calais, northern France, after the tragedy. AP
  • France's interior minister has called it the biggest tragedy involving migrants on the dangerous crossing to date. AP
    France's interior minister has called it the biggest tragedy involving migrants on the dangerous crossing to date. AP
  • A man wheels a gurney into a warehouse in Calais, where it is believed the bodies of migrants are being transported. PA
    A man wheels a gurney into a warehouse in Calais, where it is believed the bodies of migrants are being transported. PA
  • French police look at a map of the coast at Wimereux, in northern France. The stretch of beach is believed to be used by migrants aiming to cross the Channel. PA
    French police look at a map of the coast at Wimereux, in northern France. The stretch of beach is believed to be used by migrants aiming to cross the Channel. PA
  • A funeral van leaves the port of Calais. AFP
    A funeral van leaves the port of Calais. AFP
  • A group of people thought to be migrants are brought to Dover by the RNLI. PA
    A group of people thought to be migrants are brought to Dover by the RNLI. PA

The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed it had received the lawsuit. A spokeswoman for the French Maritime Prefecture said an investigation was under way into the calls received on the night of the disaster.

“Sometimes we receive hundreds of calls in a night, each call is dealt with, and we have to work out which boat they are referring to,” she said.

Callers sometimes express a preference to be taken in by British rescuers, she said, but this would not change France’s obligation to help.

The British coastguard declined to comment on the complaint, but said it had received more than 90 alerts from the Channel on the day of the tragedy.

“Every call was answered, assessed and acted upon, including the deployment of search and rescue resources where appropriate”.

In London, proceedings have also formally been launched by the families of the victims from Iraqi Kurdistan.

Britain and France traded blame for the Channel crossings following the disaster, adding further tensions to a strained post-Brexit relationship. Journeys have tripled this year compared with 2020.

France said the lack of legal asylum routes to Britain, and an attractive clandestine labour market, was luring people across the Channel. It banished the UK from emergency talks after an open letter from Prime Minister Boris Johnson that angered French President Emmanuel Macron.

Meanwhile, London has not hidden its frustration that the patrols it partly finances on the French coast are not putting a stop to the perilous crossings.

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Marathon results

Men:

 1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13 

2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50 

3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25 

4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46 

5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48  

Women:

1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30 

2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01 

3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30 

4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43 

5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01  

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Cologne v Hoffenheim (11.30pm)

Saturday

Hertha Berlin v RB Leipzig (6.30pm)

Schalke v Fortuna Dusseldof (6.30pm)

Mainz v Union Berlin (6.30pm)

Paderborn v Augsburg (6.30pm)

Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund (9.30pm)

Sunday

Borussia Monchengladbach v Werder Bremen (4.30pm)

Wolfsburg v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)

SC Freiburg v Eintracht Frankfurt (9on)

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

if you go
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The 12 breakaway clubs

England

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur

Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus

Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid

Company Profile:

Name: The Protein Bakeshop

Date of start: 2013

Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani

Based: Dubai

Size, number of employees: 12

Funding/investors:  $400,000 (2018) 

RIDE%20ON
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Updated: December 21, 2021, 12:51 PM