Humanitarian groups demand safe routes to UK after five deaths in Channel

A French police officer looks out to sea in Wimereux, where a child and four adults drowned attempting to cross the Channel on Tuesday. Photograph: Yves Herman/Reuters

Humanitarian groups have called for new safe routes to Britain after five people died trying to cross the Channel within hours of ministers passing the controversial Rwanda bill.

A child and four adults drowned on Tuesday while trying to reach the UK in a boat from Wimereux, in France. More than 110 people were said to have been on board the vessel when it left the French coastline at 5am.