Updated

Fourteen defendants have gone on trial in connection with the deadliest disaster involving small boats crossing the English Channel, in which at least 30 men, women and children drowned when their dinghy capsized on 24 November 2021. The case is being closely watched as authorities in the UK and France continue to grapple with the perilous and often fatal crossings used by migrants seeking to reach Britain. The trial is expected to examine the roles of alleged smugglers in organizing the crossing that led to the tragedy, one of the deadliest incidents of its kind in recent European migration history.