France confirms Sirvan Alipour, 23-year-old Iranian refugee, among Channel Channel deaths

Three weeks after a boat carrying refugees capsized while crossing the English Channel, French authorities confirmed the death of Sirvan Alipour, a 23-year-old Iranian refugee.

The French government has announced the identities of 26 of the 27 victims of the incident. Among the victims were 16 Iraqi Kurds and four Afghans.

According to human rights sources, Sirvan Alipour was from the city of Sardasht in West Azerbaijan.

Dozens of asylum seekers drowned on December 22nd while trying to illegally cross the English Channel into Britain using an inflatable boat.

This is not the first time that Iranian refugees have lost their lives on this route. Last November, five members of the "Irannejad" family, including three children, were victims of a similar incident. The family, also from Sardasht, were planning to emigrate from France to the UK.

The deaths of refugees have become a source of tension in relations between France and Britain.

French police say they have stepped up their efforts to stop migrants from reaching Britain, but figures released by the UK's immigration department show that the number of migrants crossing the English Channel to Britain has risen sharply this year.

Non-governmental aid organizations and refugee advocacy groups say that if law enforcement is tightened, smugglers and migrants may use more dangerous methods to escape from the police.

Source: Radio Farda