Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

NGO accuses French and British of ignoring drowning migrants' plea

NGO accuses French and British of ignoring drowning migrants' plea

A French migrant charity has filed a judicial complaint alleging that French and British rescue services ignored distress calls from migrants aboard an inflatable dinghy that sank in the middle of the Channel on Nov. 24.
Twenty-seven people drowned in the worst tragedy of its kind on record in the seaway separating mainland Europe from Britain.

The complaint, filed by the NGO Utopia 56 at a Paris court, accuses the heads of the French maritime authority, the French rescue service Cross Gris Nez and the British coastguard of "involuntary homicide and failing to deliver help".

Utopia 56 says the migrants called French and British authorities but were not sent help until a French fisherman raised the alert more than 10 hours later.

A spokesperson for the French Maritime Prefecture said its rescuers investigate every call that they receive and that an inquiry was under way into the calls received that night.

"Sometimes we receive hundreds of calls in a night, each call is dealth with, and we have to work out which boat they are referring to," said Veronique Magnin.

Callers sometimes express a preference to be rescued by the British, she said. However, this would not change the legal obligation for France to act.

The British coastguard declined to comment on Utopia 56's legal complaint. It said that on Nov. 24, it had received more than 90 alerts from the Channel area including 999 emergency calls.

"Every call was answered, assessed and acted upon, including the deployment of search and rescue resources where appropriate," it said.

In the wake of the accident, Britain and France traded blame.

Utopia 56 cited a judicial source as saying that an inquiry already under way confirmed the existence of such phone calls.

Utopia 56 said it had evidence of that calls for rescue had been ignored on other occasions. The allegations were based on interviews with the only two survivors, close friends of those who died, and other migrants who made the crossing successfully that day, it said in a statement.

The charity quoted one migrant as telling it: "If I call 999, they say 'call France', and when we call France, they tell us to contact the United Kingdom. They're both making fun of us."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×