DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Criminal parasites care about only one thing: getting rich
Every man’s death diminishes us, and we must all mourn the terrible deaths by drowning that took place in the Channel early yesterday.
We must also praise the actions of those who went to the aid of the stricken boat.
No effort was spared by British or French authorities and rescuers in seeking to save those involved in the Sangatte tragedy.
We know that these dedicated people would turn out in any conditions if there was a need to save life, and perhaps we do not value them enough, because we are so used to their courage and devotion.
But the sea remains a very dangerous element and the Channel, especially, is one of the most perilous waterways in the world, with its unpredictable weather and its constant heavy traffic of large, fast ships.
Two British ships and several French vessels wre involved in the search
A group of people thought to be migrants were brought in to Dover, Kent, after six people are confirmed to have died when a boat carrying migrants sank in the Channel yesterday morning
It is too early to be sure exactly what caused this particular miserable event. There are reports that the boat involved was severely overloaded and taking on water, with its passengers tragically using their shoes to try to bail it out.
Rescue crews said this was the seventh time in a week that they had needed to pull people from the sea.
We are very fortunate that so many such incidents do not end in large numbers of deaths.
But the abiding question is: Why are people prepared to take these appalling risks?
It is no light thing to scramble into a flimsy dinghy with dozens of others and set out across deep salt water.
Various lobbies and factions will argue that we have made it too hard to get into this country, and that such disasters can be blamed on immigration controls and on measures to deter illegal migration.
This is completely untrue. In the year up to June 2022, 1.2 million people migrated into the UK and 557,000 people emigrated from it, leaving a net legal immigration figure of 606,000.
The RNLI bring 50 Migrants ashore at Dover Docks this morning that had been rescued mid channel
Two British ships and several French vessels have been involved in a search and rescue operation (stock image)
In historical terms, we have seldom been so open to legal immigration as we are now. Of course it is more complicated than that. Migrants from some parts of the world can come to the UK more easily than others.
But this is true of most major wealthy countries that permit legal immigration.
In any case, nations surely have the basic freedom to decide who to welcome within their borders.
READ MORE: Six migrants who died in Channel tragedy were Afghan men, French officials reveal: Hunt for two still missing continues after small boats carrying asylum seekers including children to UK capsized
A world without frontiers, in which all could freely dwell where they choose, may sound like utopia to some, but the reality would be grim, with housing, services, transport and education overwhelmed in those countries seen to be desirable. Nobody has an absolute right to live wherever he wishes.
No, the people wholly to blame for these deaths are the criminal gangsters who make rich livings by smuggling people across dangerous water, not in the least caring about their fate as long as they get their money.
These smugglers exploit the reasonable ambitions and hopes of those they entice into their unseaworthy boats.
They rely hugely on the respect for law and civilisation of the countries they target.
They are confident that even those who end up capsized or sinking will – if it is humanly possible – be picked up and taken to safety by coastguards, lifeboatmen, navies and merchant seamen from those countries.
This boundless cynicism deserves to be severely punished, and The Mail on Sunday supports all measures to catch, prosecute and imprison these criminal parasites.
In the same cause, we support all measures taken by our Government, and that of France, to deter and prevent the smugglers’ boats from ever setting off.
This is not a simple task, and it requires resolve, careful planning and considerable resources.
We should not be diverted from it. It is the best way of saving lives in the Channel, and the best policy for the country.
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