10-year-old child and two women die in Channel crossing attempt

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French authorities said 105 people on board the “precarious” migrant dinghy were rescued after calling for help at sea.

A medical team was transported to the rescue boat, but could not save the child and two women, who were in their thirties.

The survivors were brought to Calais, where nine other people needed non-critical medical attention, after the dinghy had left Bleriot Plage, near Calais, that morning.

Pas-de-Calais prefect Francois-Xavier Lauch said: “Apparently there was no drowning, it was likely crushing, which is just as dreadful.”

A judicial investigation has been opened.

The Prime Minister’s spokesperson said: “It is a stark reminder of the dangers posed by the criminal gangs who exploit vulnerable people for profit, and we will continue to work relentlessly.”

Libby Kane, of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said the three deaths, and four others in recent days, were a “direct result of government decisions to continue securitising” the border.

“Every death at the border is a tragedy,” she said. “People fleeing war, persecution and climate destruction are forced to take these dangerous routes to the UK because there are no other accessible ways.

“The government must allow everyone to use the same accessible and safe routes that already exist for many people, such as the multiple ferry routes that already go between Calais and Dover every day.”

Refugee Action chief executive Tim Naor Hilton said: “This tragedy is another stark reminder that there is no way for people to safely reach the UK in order to claim asylum, which means their only option is to risk their life in a boat.”

The deaths came as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood was expected to propose new routes for asylum-seekers at Labour Party conference.

Freedom from Torture’s Natasha Tsangarides said safe routes are “an essential step towards building a fairer asylum system.”

She said today’s deaths were a “devastating reminder of what is at stake,” adding: “But safe routes must form part of a broader protection system that enables people to rebuild their lives in safety once they arrive.

“For torture survivors, reaching the UK should mark the start of safety and recovery — not further uncertainty and hardship.

“They deserve a warm welcome, a fair hearing and the chance to recover and build a future free from fear.”