'His dreams ended in the Channel': Brother's heartbreak after deadly small boat disaster

The brother of a teenage asylum seeker who died in the deadliest ever Channel crossing has opened up about his heartbreak two years on from the tragedy.

Zana Mamand Mohammad said his brother Twana had hoped to one day become a professional footballer but that “his dreams ended in the English channel” in 2021.

The 18-year-old was one of at least 27 people to die after the inflatable boat they were in while crossing from France to the UK capsized on November 24 that year.

Mr Mohammad said the disaster had been “heartbreaking” for his and the other victims’ families.

Speaking to the PA news agency through a translator from Iraq, he said he feels “deeply devastated” that his brother’s body has never been found.

At least 27 people lost their lives, two survived and four remain missing.

Mr Mohammad said his brother had left Iraq in August that year, beginning a long journey that would involve paying thousands of dollars to people traffickers in the hope of a better life.

Asked about his younger brother’s aspirations, he told PA: “He was a sportsman, he liked football.

“He was hoping to become a famous football player but unfortunately all of his dreams ended in the English Channel.”

He is one of the signatories of an open letter accusing French and British authorities of having “failed desperate people who came asking for help” when they got into distress in the water.

The letter, which is also signed by refugee charities and campaign groups including Care4Calais, criticised the UK Government’s immigration policies and called for more safe routes for people seeking refuge.

Earlier this month, the Government announced an independent inquiry to look at the circumstances of the deaths, which included a pregnant woman and three children.

That announcement followed the publication of a report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) which found the boat was “wholly unsuitable and ill-equipped” and stated that the UK’s search and rescue response into the incident was hampered by the lack of a dedicated aircraft carrying out aerial surveillance.

The exact time and location of the partial sinking is unknown but the MAIB said the occupants of the dinghy were attempting to cross from France to England when the vessel became flooded and partially sank, causing them to enter the water.

There were “multiple boats” attempting to cross the Dover Strait and each made several distress calls, the report said, which made it “extremely challenging for HM Coastguard to locate and identify discrete boats”.

Among its recommendations, the report said that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) should work with French authorities to agree ways of improving “the transfer of information” between the UK and French coastguard agencies during migrant crossings.

Announcing the inquiry, Transport Secretary Mark Harper said it would “allow a thorough and independent investigation into the circumstances of the deaths to take place, further to the MAIB’s report, to give the families of the victims the clarity they deserve”.

The letter from charities and victims’ families said: “We long for people seeking safety on British shores to be seen as human beings, deserving of rights, compassion and dignity.

“Tragedies like this occur because of the othering our politicians insist on – of the dehumanising of sons and fathers, mothers and daughters, friends and family members.

“This rhetoric must change, and so must this Government’s policies.

“Humans in search of safety deserve just that. This means safe routes for all refugees wishing to come to the UK – we need to improve resettlement and refugee family reunion schemes and make it easier for people to travel to the UK to claim asylum.

“That is the only way these tragedies will end.”

The letter came two days after an incident on Wednesday saw two migrants die off the coast of France.

A Government spokesperson said: “Our thoughts remain with the families of all those who lost their lives in the Channel two years ago.

“The two further tragic deaths this week serve as another stark reminder of why we must stop the boats and disrupt the gangs driving these deadly crossings.

“We will do whatever it takes to end these perilous and fatal journeys, encouraging people to seek safe and legal passage. Since 2015, over 550,000 people have done so.”

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