Boat death Father of girl crushed in crossing tells of anguish

The father of a seven-year-old girl crushed to death on a small boat has said they tried to cross the Channel after being informed his young family would be deported to Iraq following years spent in Europe.

- Daniel Boffey

Ahmed Alhashimi, 41, lost grasp of his daughter, Sara, on an inflatable dinghy after a large group of men rushed onboard as it was pulling away from the shores of Wimereux, south of Calais.

Sara was trampled as Alhashimi, who was also travelling with his wife, Nour AlSaeed, 13-year-old daughter, Rahaf, and eight-year-old son, Hussam, became jammed in and unable to reach her.

Sara was one of five who died in the crush last Tuesday.

Speaking to the BBC, Alhashimi, who said he left Basra in Iraq 14 years ago after being threatened by militia, said Sara had been born in Belgium and lived in Sweden but that his multiple applications for asylum in EU countries had been rejected.

"If I knew there was a 1% chance that I could keep the kids in Belgium or France or Sweden or Finland I would keep them there," he said.

"All I wanted was for my kids to go to school. I didn't want any assistance.