The horrific Channel deaths show the UK needs a more humane asylum system | Enver Solomon

Displaced people have a right to seek safety in Britain - the government must rethink its punitive policy and find some compassion

There are moments when the heartbreaking tragedy of those much less fortunate than us should act as a wake-up call to make the world a better place. Yesterday afternoon was one of those.

At least 27 men, women and children who, through no fault of their own, were seeking safety in the UK, perished in the cold, unforgiving seas of the Channel - the busiest shipping lane in the world. They had packed themselves into a flimsy unseaworthy dinghy on the French cost on the final leg of what they hoped would be a journey to a new life where they could do what we all take for granted - work, make friends, have fun and be safe from any harm.