'Ruthless’ people smuggler tosses brawling migrants into the Channel


Story by Charles Hymas • 1h ago

August 1, 2023











Migrants wearing life jackets in a dinghy crossing the English Channel from France - SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP© Provided by The Telegraph



A people smuggler on a dinghy bound for Britain threw a dozen passengers into the Channel after a mass brawl broke out onboard, it emerged on Tuesday.

Young women were among those tossed into the water from the inflatable vessel shortly after it left Calais, in northern France.

A row had broken out over how crowded the boat was, leading to the brawl – with punches thrown and at least 12 migrants hurled into the water.

The migrants, all of whom were wearing life jackets, had to be rescued by French emergency service crews in dinghies and on jet skis up to two miles off the French coast.

The incident came as it emerged that the average number of migrants per boat crossing the Channel last month was 52, the highest on record.

‘Utterly ruthless’

A witness said: “Smugglers had packed the boat with lots of paying customers but all hell broke loose. There was an argument about space and soon people were punching each other.



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