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An exclusive Skynews investigation has revealed France and the UK passed the blame on each other after the worst drowning of migrants in the history of the English Channel.
On 24 November 2021, a dinghy carrying 34 migrants sank in the English Channel, drowning 31 people and an unborn baby, despite the migrants’ continued desperate calls to coastguards on both sides of the Channel.
A preliminary investigation, carried out by a law firm, has revealed that there were communications between the British and French emergency services, with neither side claiming responsibility for the disaster.
The investigation, seen by Sky News, is based on evidence from the two survivors, phone calls, text messages and emails.
Sensing they were in danger, the migrants called the French and English rescue services at around 2am and then continued for almost two hours, begging them to intervene.
“A few minutes after this first call, the French rescue services again searched for the vessel’s position“, says the French report.
The French rescue team relayed the position of the dinghy to the English rescue team, telling them it was their responsibility to help the boat.
“The English rescue team tried to call one of the numbers given to them by the Cross Gris Nez (French coast guard), but the signal indicated that the ship was in French waters. Therefore they left the responsibility to the French team to rescue the immigrants.
One of those drowned that night was 18-year-old Twana Mamand Mohammad, who had left his home in the mountains of northern Iraq three months earlier to follow his dream of playing football in England.
“All information indicates that they have been waiting for help for more than six to seven hours,” his brother told Sky News.
Twana is one of three men whose bodies have yet to be found, making it harder for him and other families to mourn.
“France and Great Britain must take the blame, along with the smugglers who are negligent in securing the vessels. The coast guards or emergency services of both countries were negligent in not coming to their aid after the migrants had contacted them and informed them of their situation. They told them they needed help,” says the victim’s family member, adding that they called both places about 80 times.
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