Home Secretary says migrants feared missing at sea near Essex is an 'appalling tragedy'
The Home Secretary has described the "appalling" incident in which several migrants are feared to be lost at sea near Essex after trying to reach Britain by boat as an "absolute tragedy".
As many as three people could be unaccounted for after trying to cross waters from France to the UK in a dinghy earlier this week.
Two men - both Somali nationals - were rescued off the Essex coast near Harwich on Monday and searches for any remaining survivors have now been called off.
On Monday, HM coastguard confirmed that they sent a coastguard helicopter from Lydd in Kent and a coastguard fixed-wing aircraft to the scene.
When asked what she would say to the families of those who died, Ms Patel added: "It is terrible, it is tragic and it is absolutely appalling. We want to stop the loss of human life, and everything that we are doing as a Government is focusing on ensuring that we work in joint co-operation with other governments and other countries to actually get to the source of these issues, which is to stop the people smuggling."