Five people, including a child, have died trying to cross the English Channel in a small boat as the political standoff in Britain intensifies after the British parliament approved the Rwanda bill.

The government bill that provides the return of migrants back to Rwanda and has drawn fierce opposition and rights groups, was finally approved by parliament after two years of legal battles and political disputes.

Particularly, French authorities have confirmed that at least five migrants — three men, a woman and a child — have died earlier this morning on a small boat carrying 110 people attempting to cross the English Channel.

“After the first grounding on a sandy bank, the boat went out to sea again”the prefecture said. “A crowd movement apparently occurred on the overloaded vessel, causing many casualties”he added noting that the accident occurred at 05:00 local time.

Earlier, the local newspaper La Voix du Nord it said the migrants had died trying to cross the English Channel from an area near the town of Vimere and that around 100 had been rescued by three helicopters and several lifeboats involved in the operation.

According to a Coast Guard spokeswoman, members are still conducting sea operations after an “intense” morning with many attempts by migrants to cross the English Channel.

The English Channel it is one of the world’s busiest waterways and the currents there are strong, making it dangerous for small boats to cross.

Human traffickers usually overload plastic boats in poor condition leaving them barely afloat, in danger of being swept away by the waves as they try to reach British shores.

This new accident occurs after the adoption, yesterday, by the upper house of the British Parliament of legislation which will allow the British government to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Stemming the migration flow is a priority for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s governmentwhich argues that the Rwanda plan will act as a deterrent.

Human rights groups and other critics argue that the plan is inhumane.

Tens of thousands of migrants — many fleeing war zones in their homelands in Africa, the Middle East and Asia or fleeing poverty — have reached Britain in recent years by crossing the English Channel in small boats, risking their lives and having fallen victim to human traffickers.

After this latest incident, British Home Secretary James Cleverley said the government was doing everything it could to stop these attempts by migrants and, as he wrote in platform X, “these tragedies must stop”.