Lord Dubs has called on the government to improve its relations with France to ensure that asylum seekers do not lose their lives.

The Labour peer, who reached England as a refugee shortly before the Second World War, said: “I think it is a terrible tragedy and that makes it worse is that many of us predicted that this would happen sooner or later.”

“I grieve for the families who lost someone in the Channel. We need urgently to improve our relationships with France on this issue, because the only way we can lessen the impact of the vile traffickers is by cooperating closely with the French authorities.”

“We also need to ensure those refugees – particularly children – who have family links or other connections with Britain are allowed to come here in a legal and orderly manner.” 

The French prime minister has said his thoughts are with those who lost their lives in the Channel earlier this afternoon.

“The shipwreck in the English Channel is a tragedy. My thoughts go out to the many who have died or been injured, victims of criminal smugglers who exploit their distress and poverty,” he said.

The French interior minister Gerald Darmanin has confirmed the tragedy that took place in the Channel today.

“Strong emotions in light of the tragedy of the many dead due to the shipwreck of a boat of migrants in the English Channel,” he tweeted on Wednesday afternoon.

“We can never say enough of the criminal nature of smugglers who organise these crossing. I’m going to the scene.”

Dozens of migrants have died after an inflatable dinghy capsized off the coast of France on Wednesday, a local mayor has said.

Franck Dhersin, the mayor of Teteghem, told the television channel France 3 that 24 people had died and that 26 others had been rescued.

Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of today’s tragedy in the Channel. At least 24 migrants are thought to have died after their dinghy capsized off the coast of France.