A fatal shipwreck occurred off the coast of Calais in November 2021, resulting in the deaths of at least 31 people, including a 7-year-old girl, and leaving two survivors. The incident, which involved a poorly constructed boat traveling between France and England, sparked calls for legal action against 14 smugglers. On Tuesday, September 22, the Paris Correctional Court heard requests for prison sentences ranging from six months with probation to up to 10 years, as well as arrest warrants, for the smugglers being tried for their role in the deadliest migrant shipwreck in the English Channel in recent years. The boat had departed from Loon-Plage, a small town in northern France, and sank during the night of November 23–24, 2021. Investigations into the incident have uncovered conflicting accounts from rescue personnel. In June, a judicial inquiry in Paris revealed that seven military personnel—five from the regional surveillance and rescue center (CROSS) and two sailors from a patrol boat—were under investigation for potentially failing to assist the stranded migrants. The inquiry aims to determine whether the rescue teams received adequate information about the boat’s location and condition, and whether they delayed action in an attempt to avoid overextending resources or transferring responsibility to British authorities. During the inquiry, Fanny R., one of the military personnel being prosecuted, claimed that she responded to the migrants’ calls and reassured them that help would come "as soon as possible." She said the military wanted to "reassure" the migrants to avoid panic and prevent further incidents. She also suggested that freeing phone lines was necessary to handle other emergency calls. However, Frédéric J., an officer on duty that night, said he was "outraged" by the idea of freeing lines, arguing that it made no sense if no more calls came in. He claimed he had no information about the situation and suggested it may have been a failure. The investigation is now examining the maps and software used by the rescue teams to determine who had knowledge of the boat’s location and condition. Some of the military personnel are suspected of waiting for the boat to enter British waters so that British authorities would take responsibility for the rescue. Pauline M., the officer on duty that night, contradicted these claims, stating that the proximity to British waters was not a factor in her decision-making, as her primary responsibility was to rescue the migrants. Her lawyer defended her actions, saying she did her best with the information and resources available. Meanwhile, some of the families of the victims have not recovered the bodies of their loved ones, lost in the English Channel.