Image source, AFP

Clare Moseley, founder of the charity Care4Calais, tells the BBC that the migrants lost their lives seeking a better future for themselves in the UK.

"Part of the worst thing for us is that every single one of those people who are refugees by definition has already suffered something horrific whether they've been through conflict, torture, persecution," she says.

"The thought that somebody could escape from something really terrible, could go through hell, travel an immense journey of thousands of miles, to die at our border," she adds.

"When they've come here seeking safety, they've come here seeking our help, the scale of the tragedy - that it's here that they die - is quite overwhelming."

The Conservative MP for Dover and Deal, Natalie Elphicke, said the incident was an "absolute tragedy" that underlined why boats needed to be stopped from entering the water.

"As winter is approaching the seas will get rougher, the water colder, the risk of even more lives tragically being lost greater," she said.

"That's why stopping these dangerous crossings is the humanitarian and right thing to do."

Back to the UK PM, who was speaking after chairing Cobra. Boris Johnson admits efforts so far to stem the flow of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats "haven't been enough".

"What this shows is that the gangs who are sending people to sea in these dangerous crafts will literally stop at nothing.

"But what I'm afraid it also shows is that the operation that is being conducted by our friends on the beaches, supported as you know with £54m from the UK to help patrol the beaches, the technical support we've been giving, they haven't been enough.

"Our offer is to increase our support but also to work together with our partners on the beaches concerned, on the launching grounds for these boats.

"That's something I hope will be acceptable now in view of what has happened.

"Because there is no doubt at all that the gangs concerned, unless they are shown that their business model won't work, that they can't simply get people over the Channel from France to the UK, they will continue to deceive people, to put people's lives at risk and, as I say, to get away with murder."

French authorities are now saying that more than 30 people have lost their lives.

Franck Dhersin, deputy head of regional transport and mayor of Teteghem on the northern French coast told the Reuters news agency that 31 had lost their lives and that two more people were still missing.

Images from Calais show rescuers bringing back the bodies of some of those who have died:

Image source, AFP

Image source, AFP

The news comes amid record numbers of migrants making the crossing from France to the UK.

More than 25,700 people have made the dangerous journey to the UK in small boats this year - more than three times the 2020 total.

BBC Newsnight's policy editor, Lewis Goodall, external, says he understands about 25 boats had attempted the crossing so far on Wednesday.

The Dover Strait is the busiest shipping lane in the world and has previously claimed the lives of those trying to cross to Britain in inflatable dinghies.

Until today, it was thought at least 10 people had died in the past few weeks while attempting to make the crossing.

Earlier this week, Home Secretary Priti Patel described the number of illegal migrants departing France as "unacceptable".

The UK has promised to give France €62.7m (£54m) during 2021-22 to help tackle the issue.

But Labour has accused the government of failing to deliver on pledges to reduce the crossings.

Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said wider law enforcement work with French authorities to target people smugglers was required - as well as more work on creating safe and legal routes for migrants.

Jean-Marc Puissesseau, president of the ports of Calais and Boulogne, tells the BBC of his shock at the news that many migrants have drowned in the Channel, accusing people traffickers of murder.

"They are murderers, they are really murderers. And of course we are all so upset," he says.

"You know we are used to the migrants and we know that it cannot continue. We knew that there would be a catastrophe and we had that today."

More from the UK prime minister, who says further action is needed to stop "gangsters" who organise small boat journeys across the channel.

Pledging to work with France, Boris Johnson tells broadcasters: "We've had difficulties persuading some of our partners - particularly the French - to do things in a way in which we think the situation deserves.

"What we want now is to do more together," he says.

Gérard Darmanin is due to arrive in Calais shortly.

"We cannot say enough about the criminal nature of the smugglers who organise these crossings," he said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he is "shocked, appalled and deeply saddened" after at least 27 migrants died when their boat sank in the Channel.

Speaking from Downing Street he says no stone will be left unturned in the fight to demolish human trafficking gangs.

"I think the details are still coming in but more than 20 people have lost their lives," Johnson says.

"My thoughts and sympathies are first of all with the victims and their families. It's an appalling thing that they have suffered.

"But I also want to say that this disaster underscores how dangerous it is to cross the Channel in this way."

Welcome to our live coverage of the capsize of a boat carrying migrants off the coast of Calais.

Here’s what we know so far:

• French police say at least 27 people have died
• A fishing boat sounded the alarm earlier on Wednesday after spotting several bodies in the water
• French Prime Minister Jean Castex said the shipwreck was a "tragedy", adding those who died were victims of "criminal smugglers"
• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has chaired an emergency Cobra meeting today in response to the deaths
• Rescue operations by air and sea are ongoing
• An official at the International Organisation for Migration has called the drownings the biggest single loss of life in the Channel since they began collecting data in 2014