Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jul 14, 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
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
×