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MigrationIraq

Bodies of migrants who drowned en route to UK repatriated

December 26, 2021

The bodies of at least 16 Kurdish migrants were returned to Iraq after their attempt to cross the English Channel ended in tragedy. The incident claimed a total of 27 lives.

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Two men attach a large photo of a woman on the back of an ambulance containing her body
The bodies were driven to the victims' hometownsImage: Azad Lashkari/REUTERS

Relatives of 16 Iraqi Kurdish migrants who drowned in a doomed effort last month to cross the English Channel gathered in Erbil as the plane carrying the victims' remains landed early on Sunday. Some of the relatives were seen carrying pictures of their late loved ones.

Ambulances then carried the coffins to the hometowns of the deceased in Darbandikhan, Ranya, Soran and Qadrawa.

The migrants were attempting to cross from France to the UK on a dinghy that deflated.

Migrants risk their lives to get to the UK

"The last time I heard my son's voice was when he got on board the boat. He said, 'Don't worry Mum, I will reach England shortly.' Now he's back to me in a coffin," Shukriya Bakir, whose son was among the deceased, told the Reuters news agency.

Two women hug during the arrival of the coffins of Iraqi Kurdish migrants at Erbil International Airport
Emotional scenes unfolded at Erbil International Airport where family members gatheredImage: Azad Lashkari/REUTERS

What do we know about the Channel crossing tragedy?

In total, 27 migrants died in the incident on November 24. The victims included seven women and two children aged 16 and seven.

Of the 27 who died, 26 have been identified. In addition to the 16 ethnic Kurds from Iraq, the victims included an Iranian Kurd, four Afghan men, three Ethiopians, a Somali and an Egyptian.

One Iraqi Kurd and one Sudanese man were rescued, the French Interior Ministry said at the time. The Iraqi survivor said 33 people were aboard at the time of the catastrophe.

France: The plight of refugees in Calais

French investigators are still probing the incident amid reports the victims had tried phoning both French and British emergency services.

In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, French President Emmanuel Macron accused UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson of being "not serious" about stopping migrant crossings in the English Channel. Johnson's initial reaction was to deflect blame onto the French.

Instability drives search for better life elsewhere

Over the last decade, hundreds of thousands of people from impoverished or war-torn countries like Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and Sudan have attempted to enter the EU and the UK in search of a better life.

Very few have been welcomed and granted asylum, providing them with papers to help them start a new life.

What happened to the EU's vaunted values?

While Iraq is no longer at war, the lack of economic opportunities and basic services has led many to risk a journey to the West in hopes of finding a better life abroad.

ar/dj (AFP, Reuters)