Victims of worst Channel migrant boat disaster 'paid £2,500 for place on dinghy'

A criminal trial in Paris opened Tuesday for 14 alleged people smugglers accused over the November 2021 English Channel disaster that killed dozens of migrants. Prosecutors say victims paid at least £2,500 for a spot on an uncertified, sea-unfit dinghy that was not equipped with enough life jackets. The overloaded boat collapsed and no one came to the rescue after it capsized near Calais; a French fishing vessel later alerted emergency services after seeing bodies in the water. The recovery found 27 victims, rescued two men, and at least four remain missing. Defendants deny wrongdoing and claim they were asylum seekers.