A 16-year-old Sudanese boy has drowned after he and a friend tried to cross the English Channel on a dinghy launched from a French beach. His body was found washed up on a beach in northern France. His friend, also a 16-year-old boy from Sudan, was rescued on Tuesday night after the inflatable vessel ran into trouble. He said his companion – believed to be the body discovered – had gone missing at sea and could not swim. At least 1,200 people have made the journey in August alone – a monthly record – and more than 4,800 in 2020. The discovery comes amid tensions between Britain and France over a rise in migrants’ attempts to cross the English Channel in recent weeks. Britain’s interior minister, Priti Patel, who has vowed to clamp down on the cross-Channel journeys, condemned the incident and the flourishing human-trafficking trade. “This is an upsetting and tragic loss of a young life. This horrendous incident serves as a brutal reminder of the abhorrent criminal gangs and people smugglers who exploit vulnerable people. “Working together we are determined to stop them,” she said. Ms Patel faced criticism from the opposition Labour Party as the shadow home secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, called on the government to act faster. “This is utterly heartbreaking. Thoughts with his loved ones. The situation is lacking in humanity and totally unacceptable,” he said. “The government urgently needs to work on a solution with international partners and address the exploitative behaviour of criminal gangs – this is costing lives.” Bella Sankey, director of the support and advocacy organisation Detention Action, said it was a horrifying but expected death. “We have repeatedly warned Priti Patel it was only a matter of time before her toxic policy to deny safe and legal routes to the UK would cost lives,” she said. Britain’s immigration minister met with French officials last week and announced new joint efforts to try to stop such attempts, as well as the rising crossings by boat. Britain’s newly appointed Channel threat commander, Dan O’Mahoney, is expected in France this week to continue talks.
