Sunak under pressure over ‘appalling’ small boat deaths – as 500 more people cross Channel

THE INDEPENDENT says Rishi Sunak is under intense pressure to do more to tackle the small boats crisis following the “appalling and preventable” tragedy that saw the deaths of six people when a vessel sank off the coast of France on Saturday.

Fresh calls for action came as it emerged that a further 509 people crossed the English Channel in 10 small boats on Saturday, despite the perilous nature of the crossing, bringing the total for the year so far to 16,679.

Senior Conservatives joined Labour in attacking the “dysfunctional” Home Office for failing to tackle the “out of control” asylum system – but some Tory MPs appeared to blame the French for Saturday’s tragic deaths.