More deaths in the English Channel underscore risks for migrants despite UK efforts to stem the tide WFTV [Video]

LONDON — (AP) — Five more people died in the English Channel on Tuesday, underscoring the risks of crossing one of the world’s busiest sea lanes in overloaded inflatable boats just hours after British lawmakers approved a controversial migrant bill to stop the traffic.

The migrants, including a 7-year-old girl, died when their boat got stuck on a sandbank off the coast of Pas-de-Calais in northern France. The French navy rescued 49 people, but 58 others refused to disembark and continued on toward Britain, local authorities said in a statement.

The vessel was just one of several small boats packed with people that took off from the French coast early Tuesday, as calm weather enticed them to attempt the crossing. The overcrowded boats are being monitored by drones, French maritime authorities said.

Just a few hours earlier, the U.K. Parliament approved legislation allowing the government to deport to Rwanda those who enter the country illegally. While Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says the plan will …