a young migrant accuses the French and British authorities

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France 2

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A.Bard, J. Debraux, V. Castel, France 3 Nord Pas-de-Calais – France 2

France Televisions

What really happened during the sinking in Calais which claimed the lives of 27 migrants? For the first time, a man, who presents himself as one of the two survivors, testifies. He says that despite several appeals to the French and British authorities, no one came to help them at first.

A few days after the deadliest of the sinking of migrant boats in the Channel, with 27 people drowned, a man who presents himself as one of the survivors testifies. According to him, passengers in distress would have called the French and British police for help, but that they would have refused to intervene. “We sent our whereabouts to the French police, and they said we were in British waters. So we called the British police to help us, and they said, ‘Call the French police'”.

The situation on board would have, according to the witness, become shortly after this catastrophic call. “People gave up hope, and we started to sink slowly”, he confides. For the French Navy, which regularly intervenes on rescues, it is totally impossible that aid has been refused. “We are dealing with issues of safeguarding the preservation of life at sea. It is obvious that on both sides of the Channel, coordination is total and that there is no game of ball return “, commented Captain Éric Lavaud, spokesperson for the French Navy. An investigation is underway.


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