The tragic loss of life in the Channel, in the most horrendous circumstances, has promoted an outpouring of concern for those who have died, and for the plight of those rescued in a superlative effort by combined British and French forces.
The capsized vessel, so typical of the type used by desperate refugees seeking shelter in Britain, was also typical of those used so cynically by the people smugglers – flimsy, overcrowded, unseaworthy and, indeed, an accident waiting to happen. All are shocked by the incident, but no one is very surprised. Despite all the calls for action and prime ministerial plans that come and go, it has happened before, and it sadly will happen again.
It is, then, at moments such as these that people are reminded of the human cost of the refugee crisis. These are fellow human beings who have lost their lives, almost drowned or died of hypothermia. They are not, to quote the dehumanising terms that have insinuated themselves into the debate, “illegals”, “invaders” or a “problem”; they have human rights, including the absolute right to seek asylum and the right to life.
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