More needs to be done to disrupt people smugglers, says Labour after one person dies in Channel crossing – UK politics live

Anneliese Dodds calls for more action to break up human trafficking gangs that are facilitating boat crossings

Labour chairwoman Anneliese Dodds said there “needs to be far more done to break up” the human trafficking gangs that are facilitating boat crossings.

Asked for her reaction to the confirmation that a person has died attempting to cross the Channel on Friday, Dodds told Sky News:

It is obviously absolutely awful, heartbreaking news. One can barely imagine what it must have been like in the middle of the night with freezing cold water and the terror and fear for people on that vessel.

And I think yet again this underlines really that the criminal people smuggling gangs are putting individuals in absolutely appalling danger.

Well, we are just hearing it now, but all of these are tragic stories. It shows once again the importance of cracking down on the terrible trade of people traffickers in the Channel.

It is not a safe route, it is not a safe crossing. People shouldn’t need to do that.