Gavin Grey: UK Correspondent on the migrant boat capsizing in the English Channel

At least 12 people have died after the capsize of a migrant boat in the English Channel. 

The French Coastguard has rescued more than 50. 

It's the deadliest disaster in the Channel so far this year. 

Downing Street is labelling the disaster "truly horrific", and says it's determined to further crack down on dangerous people-smuggling operations. 

UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge that more than 20,000 people have made the crossing from France to the UK this year, but the number of deaths has also risen significantly. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Devin Grays, our UK europe correspondent, large search and rescue
operation underwe in the English Channel. Devin, what's heaven?

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Yeah, Ryan, I'm afraid another boat carrying migrants trying to
cross the English Channel to enter the UK illegally has capsized.
More than fifty people have been rescued, according to the
French Ghost Guard, but twelve people, including we now believe
a pregnant woman has died. This is the deadliest disaster
this year in the Channel. Indeed, some are suggesting it's

(00:27):
probably the biggest single fatality for several years within the Channel.
Downing Street here in the UK saying the news is
truly horrific. More than twenty thousand people have made the
crossing from France to the UK so far this year,
but the numbers of deaths has also risen significantly in

(00:48):
this last year alone, and they're saying that's because quite simply,
the people smugglers are getting more ruthless. They're using boats
that simply aren't capable of carrying people and certainly are
not seaworthy. Indeed, this boat was seven meters long which
has sunk, and it was overloaded with seventy people and
quite simply, I'm afraid it seemed to go under. We

(01:08):
have had some windier rougher seas and I'm afraid it
just looks like this, both simply capsized, terrible.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
The former boss of Volkswagen has appeared in court. This
is the well, huge scandal, but years and years ago
now taken a while to get to court.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
Yes, it sure has so. Nine years after the cow
maker was found to have rigged the missions tests, the
former boss of Volkswagen, Martin Vintercon, chief executive company in
twenty fifteen, is on trial. He denies the charges. We've
just had the first day of the so called diesel
Gate trial, and if found guilty, the seventy seven year

(01:44):
old could face up to ten years in prison. Now
you'll remember the diesel Gate scandal erupted in September twenty fifteen,
and that was because American environmental protection agencies accused Volkswagen
of installing illegal software on cars called defeat devices. And
what that meant was software within the car recognized that

(02:05):
the vehicle was being tested in a laboratory and managed
to turn on emissions control so that it would pass
the tests as soon as it was outside the laboratory,
it would turn them on again in order to boost performance.
And of course it became a scandal which engulfed Audi, Porsche,
Sayout and Scoder as well as Volkswagen itself. And indeed

(02:27):
the scandal is said to cost more than fifty five
billion New Zealand dollars in fines to Volkswagen.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
Kevin, thank you for that, Givin Gray, UK europe correspondent.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
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Speaker 1 (02:42):
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