Sarah’s story: death of a 7-year-old seeking asylum in the UK | BBC News
a week after five people died off the coast of France as they tried to cross the channel in an overcrowded small boat we have managed to piece together what happened to the youngest victim who was just 7 years old Sarah was visible as she was carried on her father’s shoulders as the police chased them across the beach our correspondent Andrew Harding who witnessed what happened that night has Tracked Down the little girl’s father he described what happened and why the family took such a risk on what was their fourth attempt at Crossing [Music] this was the scene last week as Smugglers clashed with police on a French Beach and in the middle of the chaos one Unforgettable image of a small girl perched on her father’s shoulders a seven-year-old girl with moments left to live we now know her name was Sarah and this is her story Sarah was born in Belgium but grew up in Sweden one of three children here they are with their father Ahmed he’d fled from Iraq in 2009 and spent years trying but failing to get permission to settle anywhere in Europe he got married worked had children but his Asylum appeals were rejected instead he says the whole family faced deportation to Iraq which is why Ahmed brought them here instead hiding with smugglers in these Dunes near Cal so you were with your whole family here all five of you with family with everybody and family stay sit for this side Ahmed brought us back to the French Coast to explain what had happened and why he put his family in such danger he shows me how they rushed towards the sea you’re racing them yes you’re trying to get to the water before the police yes it must have been scary for their children yeah the police caught up with them near the water’s edge we were there too filming the whole incident the Smugglers fighting back and then here on the right Sarah in a pink jacket making her way towards the boat still holding her father’s hand a little later you can see her on ahmed’s shoulders then she disappears into the wildly overcrowded boat a rival group of Smugglers had directed their passengers from Sudan towards the same boat as more migrants piled on board you can hear ammed shouting for help Baba she said help me dad but I couldn’t reach her there were people standing on top of us and Sarah disappeared below me I was trapped I told one man to move I screamed and hit him but he just looked away ass sure the French police made no further attempt to intervene it was only later at Sea that a rescue boat finally took people away to reveal Sarah’s dead body finally when the rescue boat came they started to pull people out to pull out the dead then I saw Sarah she was in the corner her face was blue she wasn’t breathing there will be people watching this who will say why did you take that risk why were you prepared to take such a risk for you and your family to try to get to England how do you explain that the C was my last option I applied 14 times for Asylum but they were all denied I went to Belgium to Sweden to Finland I didn’t want any handouts my wife and I can both work all I wanted was for my kids to go to school to have dignity before she left Sweden Sarah Drew this family portrait that’s her on the right today her old school teacher said the class was mourning her death she was a kind and nice girl with lots of friends at school when we heard she died we gathered in a circle and had a minute silence they were such a nice family I was really shocked to Lear they were being [Music] deported Sarah and her siblings had only ever lived in Europe her funeral is expected in the coming days for her father there is grief and guilt and still no clarity about which country he and his broken family can ever call home for now the family looks set to remain here in Cal where as summer approaches the weather improves French police are BRAC themselves for a big surge in the number of attempted migrant Crossings and of course we’re all waiting to see whether the new British policy of deporting people on flights to Rwanda will have any deterrent effect on those getting into these small boats to make this dangerous Journey to the UK
A 7-year-old girl, Sarah, was among five people who died in an overcrowded small boat in the English Channel, as they tried to reach the UK.
The BBC has spoken to Sarah’s father and pieced together what happened – and why the family was taking such a great risk to reach England.
Sarah was born in Belgium and grew up in Sweden. She was one of three children of Ahmed, who had fled Iraq in 2009 and spent years trying but failing to get permission to settle in Europe.
Instead the family faced deportation to Iraq, so Ahmed decided that the family would meet people smuggler’s on a beach at night in France and make the sea crossing to England. It was a desperate move that ended in tragedy.
Sophie Raworth presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Andrew Harding.
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39 comments
Mój Boże, takie straszne nieszczęście.. Ludzi dotyka nagle wiecej bólu i łez, niz większość z nas potrafi sobie nawet wyobrazić .. Trzeba sie modlić za to niespełnione życie, i za rodzine.
why has he been denied asylum in all those countries? Is there something we don't know about?
So those people coming with dinghy are mostly failed asylum seekers in Europe. UK is a dumping ground for Europe then.
By the way Iraq is not under Saddam Hussain anymore, is it?
Father's fault
😢😢😢😢😢
Unfortunate. This family had no choice but to leave Iraq because of the turmoil it was in, so they had no choice but to flee to another country. It’s a shame European countries failed to provide them residence in their country to people’s lives who were in danger
What A Bars Dad! How can you put your 7 year old daughter at risk like that? He basically gambled with his daughters life. Poor girl!
At wat costs was it all worthed noooo and sooo much money it costs
The depths the BBC will go to
F this guy. He knowingly and completely unnecessarily put his daughter's life in danger. He killed his daughter. And F you too BBC for the endless stream of propaganda, constantly targeting people's emotions.
her father is to blame
OMG. Sweden is responsible.
NOT THE FATHER.
We don't know his story. (He could have been helping the British/Americans during the Iraq war OR from a minority tribe that targeted his family, numerous reasons for being unable to return to Iraq.
What is clear is that he loved his family and no-one puts their children at risk unless they are desperate.
Sara was educated in Sweden and Sweden should have protected her. It's clearly politics.
Sweden had a generous migration policy under a left wing government in 2015. Now we have a right wing/far right coalition government.
Unlike the UK, Sweden is efficient so when the government implements a new immigration policy it goes fast.
Sara is collateral damage of Swedish politics. Leave her father alone and blame Swedish politics
Shame on people who will use their children and women for mercy and refugee and than create chaos. They are not men
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BBC its none of your business when some one died for some of their risky decisions. You are fingering in every one holes and don't smell it.
Humans are captives of their thoughts and beliefs, not captives of fate !
Muslims run away from their country with so many problems and go to European countries by boat with lots of risks and after they get a visa and find a job, they start promoting their Islam in Europe, and the Europeans themselves consider it impure! And you should ask them, if Europe is bad, why did you invade Europe?
Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries that have a good financial situation are mostly waiting for things to happen in other Muslim and poor countries and the Saudis and Kuwaitis will go and buy their women and girls into slavery. They did this in Palestine and in other Muslim Arab countries as well. Only for shopping the girls and young women!
Curse on Islam and the promoters of Islam !!!!! !!!!!!
He speaks English, he understands about the asylum process, he must know that Joe Biden has opened the US borders for anyone to come in. Why didn't he come to the US?
It id sad that innocent childrens lives are lost, but they all know the risks and are still prepared to gamble with the lives of their children.
Yet another corrupt BBC trying to hide the fact that 90% of these illegal immigrants are illegal fighting aged males with no documentation to prove their identities. Why do they not stay with their women and children and fight for them and their rights in their own countries?
Britain does not want them here.
Can the UK deport Sophie Raworth?
they are not crossing but violating international borders! France is a safe country, once your asylum claim is rejected you are rejected, stop overstaying
Anyone would recognize the scream of a child that young… those other men/passengers involved in her death, trampled, suffocated her, ignored the father, I hope the charges are successful /should be sentenced for murder… all other passengers who are potential partakers in her death but not enough evidence should be deported, don't want that type of person here!!!!
Propaganda piece. The BBC should not be running propaganda pieces for those who should be charged with the gross negligence manslaughter of children.
Europe says noto immigration times when people were accepted is over, years of support and acceptance turned against citizens of Europe gangs, rapes killings!! No more! Great sorrow when a life is lost but again there was no care for he life clearly little child on the boat with grown man!!
So sad.
ha ha when fk all works drag out a fake false flag crises actors the lot
relentless tawdry bBc propagandising is risible
the father must been charged as an accomplice to murder. he says he just wants his child to go to school and a few seconds later they interview her teacher. Lock him up
maybe should have stayed in France, the food isn't that bad. certainly not worth dying over anyway.
Rest in piss
Mhsrip
Dont cross the channel. France is a lovely safe country.
Am I supposed to be drowning in tears of grief?
Sign of the times, the ever growing human plague has large groups of them migrating only to find it's already full of other Humans. Only going to get worst.
Asylah…..After 15 Years in UK
Asylah ..👶Nasir👶Rizwan👶Noor👶Yusuf👶Shoaib👶Irfan👶Aamir👶Osama
WE NEED SHARYA LAW YOU WHITE KAAFARS 🤓
Great job there by French Police, maintaining Border Security…. probably supplied the pump for the boat.
Stop using children as news story's the parents knew the risk.
Go Home.
moral story don't travel by boats and if you truly love your children safety come legally. Poor child. Also England is too small for iraq,iran,syria gaza,all middle east countries to fit in. England itself a small island !!!
uk needs to be like australia, china or dubai