ICERAS

Most of the people who lost their lives when their flimsy dinghy sank in the Channel last month have been named for the first time in a new investigation.

The BBC World Service has named 20 of the people who travelled to the UK in search of a better life but drowned in the early hours of 24 November.

The investigation has pieced together the final hours of the overladen dinghy’s journey. Official reports say there were at least 31 passengers on board, including a seven-year-old girl, but relatives of those who drowned believe there were 33 on the boat. Not all of the bodies have yet been found. French media has reported that three bodies recently washed up on the beach in Calais, but they have not yet been identified.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/dec/21/asylum-seekers-drowned-in-dinghy-shipwreck-named-by-bbcAmong those on board were members of the same family and people who had formed friendships. All hoped the UK would provide them with sanctuary and safety.