London Defender

The Daily Mirror of the Great Britain

Body found caught in nets of fishing boat in English Channel – investigation launched

French authorities have confirmed the body was found by a fishing vessel off Calais on Friday. They claimed the body was believed to have been in the water for some time before it was discovered.

It is not known whether the body was one of the 27 unaccounted asylum seekers who lost their lives at sea while making the journey from France to Kent in November.

Estimates suggested between 34 and 50 people had been crammed in a flimsy inflatable dinghy when in capsize on November 24.

It was later confirmed that 27 people – including children – lost their lives, although the exact figure is still unclear.

According to Kent Online, one of those who died was a 24-year-old woman who was making the perilous journey to reach her fiance in the UK.

The International Organisation for Migration said this was the biggest single loss of life in the Channel since it began collecting data in 2014.

This year alone, the number of migrants crossing the Channel has exceeded 25,000.

Kevin Saunders, who was the UK’s Chief Immigration Officer in Calais for 16-years, claimed the French refuse to assist further in the migrant crisis.

Last month, 27 people tragically lost their lives during an attempted crossing in one of the deadliest days on the English Channel.

READ MORE: Migrant crisis in numbers: Full stats

The Home Office confirmed 1,185 people had made the same journey all within 24 hours of each other.

As the number of migrants attempting to cross the Channel increases so too have the risks that people are willing to take in order to reach the UK.

Many of the individuals who look to enter the UK originate from some of the most deprived countries in the world such as Yemen, Sudan and Iraq.

Dan O’Mahoney, Clandestine Channel Threat Commander, said last month: “These journeys are dangerous and facilitated by violent criminal gangs profiting from misery.

“We are working with the French to stop boats leaving their beaches and crackdown on the criminals driving these crossings.

“People should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach.

“The Government’s New Plan for Immigration will fix the asylum system, making it firm on those who abuse it and fair on those in genuine need.”

While the total number of migrants crossing the Channel by boat has increased the opposite can be said for the number who attempt to claim asylum in the UK.

For the year ending in June 2021, the number had fallen by four percent compared with the previous 12 months.