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CHILD VICTIM
Stats reveal shocking number of migrants entering country
- Jane Matthews
A SCHOOLGIRL died this morning after the boat she and her family were on capsized on its way to the UK.
The girl was among 16 migrants who had to be pulled from the water, but could not be saved, French authorities say.
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Authorities say the tragedy struck as the boat set out to cross the English Channel around 6.30am.
The youngster was just seven.
The shocking news comes just hours after the number of small boat migrants coming into the UK since 2018 was revealed.
Authorities said today's boat "was not appropriately sized to carry so many people".
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They said that as a result the vessel capsized soon after people boarded on a river around 20 miles inland of Calais.
The girl's parents, who were also travelling with three more of their children, were raced to hospital in Dunkirk.
Sources claimed it was mostly children onboard the boat - as well as a pregnant woman.
They claimed no one was wearing life jackets when the boat collapsed in a river near Watten.
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A source claimed: "It is a route that has been used by people smugglers before.
"On this occasion, the boat was overloaded and too flimsy to support those onboard, who included women and children.
The scene at Newhaven as six migrants hospitalised after being found in freezer lorry on cross-channel ferry from France
"There was chaos in the water after the boat collapsed, and it led to a seven-year-old girl losing her life.
"Others were rescued, and taken to a sports hall in Watten, where they are being interviewed by police."
UK border workers were forced to rescue 60 migrants in a separate incident on the English Channel in the hours that followed.
Photos showed the asylum seekers wrapped in blankets as they stepped onto the Dover docks this morning after the boat they were on capized.
It comes just days after the bodies of three migrants were pulled from the Channel.
Theasylum seekerswere pronounced dead after falling into the water off the coast of Cap Gris-Nez, northernFrance, on Thursday afternoon.
Up to 180 people were pulled to safety by rescue operators, according to French authorities.
A probe is ongoing.
Patrick Leleu, deputy prosecutor at the judicialcourtof Boulogne-sur-Mer, said at the time: "I can confirm the death of three migrants who fell into the water this afternoon off the coast of Cap Gris Nez.
"The investigation is ongoing."
It comes as dozens of migrants made the treacherous crossing to the UK today in strong winds and also thick fog.
Thelast fatalities in the Channel happened on January 14when five migrants died while trying to make the treacherous journey across the 21-mile Dover Straits.
Home Office figures showed that more than 2,000 migrants have arrived in the UK this year after making the journey from France.
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This week, they stated there were no new arrivals on Tuesday or Monday this week, but 290 asylum seekers arrived in five boats on Sunday.
It comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is scrambling to getdeportation flightsgoing to Rwanda in a bid to deter small boat journeys.
'Bigger than Dover population'
By Kate Ferguson
THE number of small boat migrants coming to Britain since 2018 is bigger than the population of Dover.
A total of 116,577 people have turned up on dinghies,Home Officestats revealed.
That surpasses the 116,400 residents ofthe Channel port.
Labour’sShadow Immigration Minister,Stephen Kinnock, said yesterday: “It is a shocking indictment of the Conservatives’ failure which has allowed criminal smuggling gangs to take hold along the coast.
“That failure is costing our country billions, while leaving our borders insecure.”
PMRishi Sunakhas made stopping thesmall boat migrantsone of his pledges.
But his plan to deport many of them toRwandahas been snarled up inlegal challengesand parliamentary scrutiny.
He is still hopeful of being able to get a flight off the ground before theelection.
Sir Keir Starmersays he would stem the tide by doing more to smash the criminal gangs behind the evil trade.
Butthe Governmentinsists it is already doing that.
It says Labour’s opposition to theRwanda planshows the party is weak on border control.
