France does not do enough to prevent migrant deaths in the Channel, an outgoing government minister in Paris has admitted. Guillaume Kasbarian was speaking after eight men perished in the latest small boat tragedy near Calais on Sunday.
On Monday, six survivors including a 10-month-old baby remained in hospital as a hunt continued for the people smugglers responsible.
It led to Mr Kasbarian, the outgoing Housing Minister, telling France Info radio station: ‘With humility, we must recognise what we have not done enough and encourage those who want to do more in the future.
‘These are terrible tragedies, which raise questions of humanity, but also questions about our migration policy, the fight against trafficking, against people smugglers’.
The mea culpa represents a marked change in French reactions to small boat disasters – in recent months, President Emmanuel Macron’s ministers have usually blamed the British for the rising death toll.
