Brother of Iraqi migrant tells of heartbreak on anniversary of Channel tragedy

Twana Mohammad's sibling 'deeply devastated' two years after 27 died while attempting to cross English Channel

People demand an end to deaths in the Channel during a protest outside the Home Office, London. PA

The brother of an Iraqi teenager has spoken of his heartbreak two years after he was killed in the deadliest incident involving migrant crossings in the Channel on record.

Twana Mohammad had hoped to one day become a professional footballer but “his dreams ended in the English Channel” in 2021, his brother Zana said.

At least 27 people were killed when the inflatable boat in which they were crossing from France to the UK capsized on November 24 that year.

Mr Mohammad said the disaster was “heartbreaking” for his and the other victims’ families.

With two surviving the tragedy and four still missing, he feels “deeply devastated” that his brother’s body has never been found.

Mr Mohammad said his brother had left Iraq in August that year, beginning a long journey that involved paying thousands of dollars to people traffickers in the hope of a better life.

Asked about his younger brother’s aspirations, he said: “He was a sportsman, he liked football.

“He was hoping to become a famous football player but unfortunately all of his dreams ended in the English Channel.”

Video: What's it like for a migrant to cross the channel by boat?

He is one of the signatories of an open letter accusing French and British authorities of having “failed desperate people who came asking for help”.

The letter, which is also signed by refugee charities and campaign groups including Care4Calais, criticises the UK government’s immigration policies and calls for more safe routes for people seeking refuge.

The government this month announced an independent inquiry to look at the circumstances of the deaths, which included a pregnant woman and three children.

That announcement followed the publication of a report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), which found the boat was “wholly unsuitable and ill-equipped” and said the UK’s search-and-rescue response was hampered by the lack of a dedicated aircraft carrying out aerial surveillance.

The exact time and location of the partial sinking is unknown but the MAIB said the occupants of the dinghy were attempting to cross from France to England when the vessel became flooded and started to sink, causing them to enter the water.

There were “multiple boats” attempting to cross the waterway at the time and each made several distress calls, the report said, which made it “extremely challenging for HM Coastguard to locate and identify discrete boats”.

Among its recommendations, the report said the Maritime and Coastguard Agency should work with French authorities to find ways of improving “the transfer of information” between the UK and French coastguard agencies during migrant crossings.

Announcing the inquiry, Britain's Transport Secretary Mark Harper said it would “allow a thorough and independent investigation into the circumstances of the deaths to take place, further to the MAIB’s report, to give the families of the victims the clarity they deserve”.

“We long for people seeking safety on British shores to be seen as human beings, deserving of rights, compassion and dignity," a letter from charities and victims’ families said.

“Tragedies like this occur because of the 'othering' our politicians insist on – of the dehumanising of sons and fathers, mothers and daughters, friends and family members.

“This rhetoric must change.

“And so must this government’s policies.

“Humans in search of safety deserve just that. This means safe routes for all refugees wishing to come to the UK – we need to improve resettlement and refugee family reunion schemes and make it easier for people to travel to the UK to claim asylum.

“That is the only way these tragedies will end.”