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Migrant deaths - 1st December 2021

Over 23,000 migrants have made the journey from France to the UK this year. Last week, 27 people lost their lives when they travelled across the Channel. A fisherman saw the boat. He called the emergency services and they rescued two people.

Migrants use people traffickers because they can’t get UK visas. These criminals put lots of migrants into tiny boats. The dangerous boats cross the Channel, the world’s busiest sea.

They are killing people, says French politician Gerald Darmain .

Gerald Darmanin: "I want to say here that the first people responsible for this despicable situation are the smugglers. That is to say criminals who, for a few thousand euros, organise the trafficking of human beings from Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa and Asia. And who then use these people to bring them to Belgium, the Netherlands and France, especially, to cross the Channel and reach Great Britain."

The migrants have to sleep outdoors in Calais. Then, people traffickers take them to the boats.

The British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, wants to end these dangerous journeys. He thinks countries should cooperate.

Boris Johnson: "Of course we have to work with our French friends, with our European partners. And I say to our partners across the Channel, now is the time for us all to step up, to work together, to do everything we can to break these gangs, who are literally getting away with murder."

French police have arrested four traffickers who may be responsible for the deaths. Already this year, they’ve arrested 1,500 traffickers.

European countries have promised to work together. They’re looking for a solution to the problem. But they don’t agree with Johnson’s ideas, which he tweeted to the French president.

Calais resident Mehdi Dimpre is angry.

Mehdi Dimpre: "It's serious, it makes me angry. It's not normal that things happen like that. And it's not normal that at the political level this is where we are today. It's not normal – makes me angry!"