French authorities investigating whether group of African migrants helped cause Channel tragedy

French authorities are investigating whether a group of African migrants may have contributed to Tuesday’s migrant tragedy, after they stormed and tried to board the already overcrowded small boat.

GB News can reveal that authorities believe the group forced their way onto the boat just as it was launching, dangerously overloading the tiny vessel.

Authorities believe that at one point, more than 110 people were squashed into the boat, with several falling off into the freezing water.

The tactic of storming small boats without paying the criminal gangs for passage is becoming increasingly common, and leading to sometimes deadly clashes between those migrants and people smugglers.

GB News has been told that African migrants in particular, often have no money to pay the gangs, and have adopted the tactic as a way of trying to cross the Channel for free.

Several African migrants have been stabbed, some fatally in recent months, as they clashed with the gang-masters on French beaches.

The tactic normally involves groups of up to 20 African migrants rushing a small boat as other migrants attempt to launch it.

Those unpaying migrants try to force their way onto the vessels, fighting off people smugglers and the other migrants who have paid for the journey.

French police said clashes took place as the boat at the centre of today’s tragedy attempted to launch from Wimereux beach near Boulogne.

Migrants fought with each other as well as with police, as the boat was pushed into the sea.

The vessel got into difficulties near a sandbank a few hundred meters off the beach, when multiple people fell overboard.

Three men, a woman and a young girl were brought ashore by rescue services but were declared dead.

As French authorities investigate the full circumstances behind this latest tragedy, they are being faced with increasing levels of migrant violence.

As well as the now regular clashes between people smuggler and those without the money to pay them, police are also coming under regular attack.

In recent weeks, a large group of migrants attacked police who tried to reach and puncture their small boat near Boulogne.

The migrants threw sticks, bottles and other objects at the officers.

They also poured petrol across the beach and set it on fire to prevent police from approaching the boat.

Increasing numbers of French police officers are being injured in the regular violent clashes.

Despite being at the centre of today’s tragedy off Wimereux beach, those on board the small boat refused to turn the small boat back to France.

Around half of those onboard did agree to transfer to a French patrol boat and were returned to France.

However, another 55 migrants continued with their journey to UK waters, where they were met by the Dover lifeboat.

On arrival back in Dover harbour, GB News filmed as migrants coming off the lifeboat were photographed, searched and briefly questioned by officers from Kent police.