Channel rescuers lacked dedicated aircraft during 2021 migrant boat tragedy

Report paints picture of chaos in the dark after rescue agencies received several distress calls

The English Channel – one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world – has become a popular route for traffickers trying to bring asylum seekers to the UK. Reuters

Rescuers attempting to save the lives of refugees drowning in the English Channel did not have enough dedicated aircraft carrying out aerial surveillance, an investigation has found.

They also need to improve communications with French agencies and improve non-aircraft surveillance capabilities, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch found.

The report, published on Thursday, was centred on a boat that sank while trying to cross the English Channel in November 2021, killing 27 of the migrants on board.

The English Channel – one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world – has become a popular route for traffickers trying to bring asylum seekers to the UK and the number of crossings has skyrocketed in the past five years.

The report painted a picture of chaos in the dark after rescue agencies received several distress calls from boats in the Channel.

A number of boats were attempting to cross the Dover Strait and each made several distress calls from mobile phones – the only communication method on board.

That made it “extremely challenging” for the British coastguard to locate and identify boats, the investigation found.

At the time of the accident, a number of coastguard “capacity enhancements” had been identified but were not in place, the report said.

The report recommended that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Border Force develop procedures to ensure “effective surveillance” of the Dover Strait is possible when aircraft are unavailable.

It also recommended that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency work with French authorities to agree on ways of improving “the transfer of information” between the UK and French coastguard agencies on migrant crossings.

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  Migrants are brought ashore at Dungeness by RNLI Lifeboat members after crossing the Channel. Reuters

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  The past three years have seen a significant rise in attempted Channel crossings by migrants, despite the dangers. AFP

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  Migrants on board a Border Force rescue boat line up to disembark at Dover harbour after crossing the Channel. Reuters

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  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

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  Migrants are escorted by Border Force staff in Dungeness, after being brought ashore by an RNLI lifeboat. Reuters

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  A woman with a child is brought ashore safely. Reuters

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  Migrants walk along a British beach after being brought ashore by an RNLI lifeboat. Reuters

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  At least 27 migrants bound for Britain died on Wednesday when their boat sank in the English Channel. AP

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  French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin speaks to the press in Calais, northern France, after the tragedy. AP

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  France's interior minister has called it the biggest tragedy involving migrants on the dangerous crossing to date. AP

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  A man wheels a gurney into a warehouse in Calais, where it is believed the bodies of migrants are being transported. PA

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  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

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  A funeral van leaves the port of Calais. AFP

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  A group of people thought to be migrants are brought to Dover by the RNLI. PA

Andrew Moll, chief inspector of marine accidents, said: “This was a tragic accident in which many lives were lost.

“Our investigation has closely examined the events on the night to understand, as best we can, what went wrong so lessons can be learnt to ensure a dreadful night like this is not repeated.

“The events of November 24, 2021, were complex, with multiple inflatable boats that were unsuitable and ill-equipped for the journey attempting to cross the Dover Strait to England.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has put stopping small boats from arriving in Britain as one of his five main priorities.

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  It is thought the number of migrants who have arrived in the UK since 2018 by crossing the English Channel on small boats now exceeds 100,000. PA

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  The milestone adds pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to fulfil his pledge to “stop the boats”. PA

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  An aerial view shows rolled-up inflatable dinghies and outboard engines, stored in a Port Authority yard in Dover. AFP

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  A group of people thought to be migrants are driven away from Dover. PA

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  Migrants are being hosted on the Bibby Stockholm, which is being used as an accommodation barge in Dorset. AFP

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  Migrants seeking asylum in the UK have also been housed at Napier Barracks in Folkestone, Kent. PA

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  A migrant walks back to his makeshift camp at sunrise after a failed attempt to cross the Channel in Sangatte, near Calais. Reuters

At least 27 people lost their lives, two survived and four remain missing. The victims included a pregnant woman and three children.

The exact time and location of the partial sinking – the deadliest incident involving migrant crossings in the Channel on record – is unknown.