France: Child trampled on overcrowded boat crossing Channel – DW – 10/05/2024
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Several people, including a small child, died when overcrowded boats were trying to cross the Channel to the UK, French authorities said. The interior minister said the child was trampled to death on board.

Several people, including a small child, died when overcrowded boats were trying to cross the Channel to the UK, French authorities said. The interior minister said the child was trampled to death on board.

France’s interior minister said that several people, including a small child, died on Saturday trying to cross the English Channel in overcrowded boats.

“Today several people died trying to cross the English Channel,” Bruno Retailleau said. “A child was trampled to death in a small boat.”

Retailleau said the “tragedy” again highlighted the need to crack down on people smuggling groups organizing the dangerous crossings.

“The people smugglers have the blood of these people on their hands and our government will intensify the fight against these mafias who are getting rich by organizing these crossings of death,” he wrote.

  • loutr@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    1·
    28 days ago

    Economics works there too, though. More passages means lower ticket prices, and at some point people will actually be able to demand “luxuries” like standing room, or else not use that guy.

    Nah they already paid upfront, they’re scared and disoriented, and even if they knew of another smuggling outfit there’s no way they’re demanding anything. Smugglers beat or even kill their clients for the pettiest shit, to make an example and make sure everyone behaves.

    • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
      1·
      28 days ago

      And then word gets around about who to avoid, assuming any of them survive. Same shit as with drug dealers.

      It’s kind of crazy that violent criminal organisations have to worry about silly things like market share, but it’s pretty well documented they actually do.

      • loutr@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        1·
        28 days ago

        I don’t know, I’m far from being an expert but from what I’ve read immigrants have been sold a paradise and are under immense pressure to succeed because their whole family or even village pooled their resources together for the wonderboy to go to Europe and make it. When they call back home they don’t give bad news, they just say everything is great even if they spend their days begging under a bridge. And so the cycle repeats.

        Anyways, it’s been this way for decades, if the free market had any influence on the human trafficking industry it would have kicked in by now…

        • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
          1·
          27 days ago

          Speaking from the perspective of this side of the Atlantic, not all of them end up under a bridge. Few of them end up living the good life either, but if they work a menial job and can still send home remittances that’s a big step up for them.

          I should be clear the research I’m thinking of is about drug cartels, so I’m not an expert either, but in what you’re describing it sounds like the smugglers get “a free lunch”, and there’s never a free lunch.