Why record Channel drownings are unlikely to deter migrants

Desperation and hopes of a better life outweigh fears about perilous crossing

Migrants on the Channel
(Image credit: Getty Images)

At least 27 people including a pregnant woman died trying to cross the English Channel in a small boat yesterday in the worst migrant tragedy in the Channel since records began.

Three children, seven women and 17 men were confirmed to have drowned after the inflatable boat capsized, according to the French authorities. The Guardian reported that Paris and London have “traded accusations” over who is to blame for the deaths and the rise in dangerous crossings of the Channel by migrants.

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