Rwanda bill latest news: James Cleverly vows 'these tragedies have to stop' as ... trends now

View
comments

Home Secretary James Cleverly has said tragedies in the English Channel "have to stop" after reports five people including a child have died in the stretch of water between Britain and France.

His remarks came just hours after MPs passed new legislation to send arrivals to Rwanda with Rishi Sunak insistent he would let nothing "stand in our way" to start sending asylum seekers to Africa on flights in July.

The tragedy was first reported by French media earlier today after the country's coastguard launched a major rescue operation off Wimereux, close to Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Officials said three men had died alongside a woman and a child. Hundreds of people had reportedly set off for the UK from France this morning to take advantage of calm weather conditions.

For the latest updates follow MailOnline's live coverage here

What has happened today?

Here is the latest rundown of what you need to know this morning:

The French coastguard has confirmed five people, three men, one woman and a child understood to be a four-year-old girl, have died attempting to cross the English Channel. A major rescue operation was launched off Wimereux, close to Boulogne-sur-Mer, at around 5am this morning when a "crowd movement" occurred in an overloaded boat carrying more than 110 people. The tragedy comes just hours after MPs approved a new law to send asylum seekers to Rwanda with Rishi Sunak vowing flights will take off in July. Home Secretary James Cleverly has reacted saying " I will not accept a status quo which costs so many lives."

Father watched young daughter

read more from dailymail.....