Lawsuits Filed Against British, French Over Migrant Deaths

A French Human Rights agency has filed a lawsuit against its own government and the British government after all but two people died aboard a migrant boat in the English channel. There were 29 people aboard the inflatable craft when it began taking on water. The migrants called French authorities for help, but were told that they were in British waters. When they called the British for help, they were told to call the French because they were in French waters. When the boat capsized, someone apparently did render aid. They were only able to save two passengers aboard the boat.

During the back-and-forth with British and French authorities, their boat took on so much water that they could no longer hold their phones. They were forced to swim for 10 hours. The lawsuit was filed by Utopia 56 against the Maritime Prefect of the Channel of the North Sea. They said in a statement that they hope to remind governments that their policies at the border claim thousands of lives every year.

Immigration matters and border issues 

Many countries like France and Britain are facing an upsurge in the number of immigrants from Iraq, Iran, and other areas of the Middle East or war-ravaged nations from the War on Terror, including Afghanistan. Part of the problem was that when the U.S. military went in and took out the prevailing government, they created a power vacuum that changed the political landscape of the region. Many Kurds are facing a serious backlash against the current Iraqi and Iranian governments. They have thus traveled to countries like Britain that aided in the downfall of their governments and increased political oppression against them.

The situation is similar to America. Many of the individuals who are migrating to the United States come from regions like Honduras, Guatemala, and other Central American countries that operate under extreme political unrest as a regular matter. Meanwhile, American interests in these countries have fostered either proto-fascist or “Banana Republic” style states that exist merely to preserve U.S. interests in the region. In Honduras, they’ve been operating with a narcostate for decades. U.S. involvement in these regions favors authoritarian capitalist governments that preserve U.S. economic interests. The job of the new government is to root out the influences of the old government and simultaneously prevent socialist or leftist programs from emerging. Inevitably, due to the oppression experienced by common people, they do emerge. With the help of the CIA, the country suppresses this rebellion. Meanwhile, the people live in abject poverty, entire sections of the country are controlled by cartels, and the cartel-controlled areas are the nicest and safest anywhere in the country.

This creates a situation where U.S. involvement destabilizes the region resulting in refugees. While the U.S. will take some refugees on a case-by-case basis, it will not take everyday Joes who live in poverty, terror, and are just trying to keep their families alive. They form the caravans you hear about on the news.

Talk to a Miami Maritime Lawyer Today 

Miami admiralty & maritime lawyer Michael F. Guilford handles matters related to maritime law. This includes breach of contract claims, personal injury claims, crew compensation claims, civil rights lawsuits, employment lawsuits, and more. Call today to discuss your situation with a trained professional.

Resource:

newsweek.com/manslaughter-lawsuit-filed-against-british-french-rescue-groups-over-migrant-deaths-1661199