Campaigners have branded the deaths of six people an “appalling and preventable tragedy” following the sinking of a boat carrying migrants in the Channel.
The Refugee Council urged the Government to respond with “compassion” to the incident while Freedom from Torture accused ministers of “hostile” attitudes towards refugee protection.
Opposition MPs said the tragedy highlighted the need for action to prevent dangerous crossings being made.
Steve Smith, chief executive of refugee charity Care4Calais, said: “This morning’s accident in the English Channel, in which six refugees are reported to have died, was an appalling and preventable tragedy.
“Those who died were not just statistics, but individual people: someone’s children, someone’s siblings, and possibly someone’s parents. We send our deepest sympathies to their friends and families.
“This terrible loss of life demonstrates yet again the need for a system of safe passage to the UK for refugees.
“This would enable them to apply for asylum while in France, and then to travel safely to the UK without risking their lives in small boats.
“It would put the people smugglers out of business overnight.”
Kolbassia Haoussou, from Freedom from Torture, said: “The tragic news of yet more deaths in the Channel, including serious injuries to many others, demonstrates the continued failure of the UK Government’s hostile approach to refugee protection.
“The UK Government has used the demonisation of refugees as a tactic to distract us from their failings, which have left us with a cost-of-living crisis, the NHS on its knees, and public sector strikes.
“If this Government fails to humanely address this issue, then innocent lives will continue to be lost.”
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said the incident “underscores the need for meaningful action” to reduce dangerous crossings, and urged the Government to focus on creating an “orderly and humane asylum system”.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life in today’s sinking of a boat in the English Channel. Our hearts go out to the victims, survivors, and their loved ones. We also thank the rescuers who helped save many lives under harrowing circumstances,” he said.
He accused the Government of “focusing on passing expensive and unworkable legislation and shutting down existing safe ways to get to the UK”, adding: “There are constructive alternatives we have set out that would create an orderly and humane asylum system.”
Asli Tatliadim, head of campaigns at Refugee Action, said: “Sadly today’s tragedy was predictable and inevitable because the Government’s hostile deterrent policies are designed to keep people out and not keep people safe.
“Ministers continue to ignore humane and viable solutions to stop people making dangerous crossings, such as giving people leave to enter the UK to claim asylum.”
Paul O’Connor, head of bargaining at the Public and Commercial Services union, said the Government had “blood on its hands”, branding its approach a “moral disgrace”.
“There is a readily available policy to prevent this tragic loss of life,” he said.
“Unfortunately, our calls on the Government to adopt it have fallen on stony ground. It’s clear they have no desire to prevent these dangerous crossings.”
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said it is “desperately” necessary to stop dangerous crossings and “the terrible criminal smuggling gangs who profit while lives are lost.”
“Awful news coming from Channel. Another tragedy with yet more lives lost or at risk,” she said.
Shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock said the latest incident was an “appalling, deeply shocking tragedy”.
“We must stop these crossings and defeat the criminal people smugglers,” he wrote on Twitter.
“There can be no more headline-chasing gimmicks or madcap schemes that just make everything worse.”
Natalie Elphicke, Conservative MP for Dover, said the fatal incident reinforced the need for joint patrols in the Channel.
“Today’s tragedy underlines why we must stop the small boats to keep people safe and prevent loss of life in the Channel,” she said.
“These overcrowded and unseaworthy deathtraps should obviously be stopped by the French authorities from leaving the French coast in the first place.
“The time has come for joint patrols on the French coast and a cross-Channel security zone before any more lives are lost.”
A UK Government spokesperson said: “We are aware of an incident in the Channel. HM Coastguard are working on a co-ordinated response and further information will be provided in due course.”
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the tragic loss of life in the Channel today.
“I have spoken with our Border Force teams this morning who have been supporting the French authorities in response to this incident.”
