Maryam Nuri Hama Amin is the first identified victim of one of the latest tragedies to occur at the EU borders. A 24-year-old Iraqi national, she was trying to reach her fiancé in the United Kingdom. She had tried multiple times to use legal ways but faced refusals every time.
On 24 November 2021, 26 people drowned in the English Channel alongside Maryam. A majority were Kurdish, Iranian and Iraqi citizens; pregnant women and children were among the victims. The shipwreck shed light on the increasing number of Channel crossings this year, with 25,700 people crossing since January. Despite this increase, the overall number of asylum applications in the UK is well below the peak it reached in the early 2000s – more than 84,000 compared to the 37,562 in 2021.
France and the UK are playing hot potato on migration
France and the UK have blamed each other for the shipwreck. The French Interior minister complained about the UK’s “bad immigration management” policies. Across the Channel, UK officials accused France of insufficiently patrolling the border.
To further tighten the asylum system in the UK, the Home Secretary Priti Patel has proposed to push back migrants attempting to cross the Channel to France. The proposal is fiercely opposed by the French government. Ms Patel is also suggesting sending migrants to detention centres in Albania or the Falkland Islands.
On 28 November, French, Dutch, Belgian, EU, Frontex and Europol officials met in Calais. They blamed smuggler networks and agreed to work together to dismantle them. They also decided to reinforce cross-border police operations and to deploy a Frontex airplane to monitor the Channel.
Increasing border security is not the answer
Increasing policing and surveillance will not stop people crossing. Examples at other EU borders show it. Therefore, President Macron’s statement that “France will not let the Channel become a cemetery” seems rather rhetorical unless accompanied by Search and Rescue operations or the opening of legal pathways.
In the meantime, Human Rights Watch estimates that approximately 2,000 people, including 300 minors, are living in horrible conditions in Calais. These people will continue attempting the Channel crossing. Safe and legal solutions are urgently needed to prevent further tragedies from happening again and so many more Maryams do not lose their lives at sea.
You can watch EuroMed Rights’ interviews with Al Jazeera (in Arabic) and TV Canarias (in Spanish) on the shipwreck. 
Photo Credit: Sara Prestianni