Three individuals have been arrested in connection with the deaths of migrants in the English Channel.
UK police are currently interviewing 55 migrants who have arrived in the UK after a small boat accident in the English Channel resulted in the deaths of five individuals.
the deaths of five migrants
The National Crime Agency (NCA) and Immigration Enforcement detained two 22-year-old Sudanese nationals and a 22-year-old South Sudanese national. These individuals will be interrogated by NCA investigators at a Kent police station.
An overloaded boat carrying 112 migrants left the French shores early on Tuesday morning but encountered engine troubles shortly after departure.
As a result, several individuals fell into the water, and five were confirmed dead by French authorities. Among the casualties were three men, a woman, and a girl.
Authorities have identified an additional 55 individuals who were reportedly onboard. They will be interviewed by the police in the upcoming days, the NCA mentioned.
Several other boats departed from the French shore on the same day under favorable weather conditions. According to Home Office data, a total of 402 migrants were detected crossing the English Channel in small boats on Tuesday.
The investigation into the deaths of the five individuals, led by French authorities, is ongoing in collaboration with the Border Force, Kent Police, and Immigration Enforcement.
“This tragic incident once again highlights the life-threatening nature of these crossings and underscores the importance of targeting the criminal organizations behind them. We will work closely with partners in the UK and France to collect evidence, identify those responsible for this event, and bring them to justice,” stated NCA Deputy Director of Investigations Craig Turner.
In a separate case, an Albanian national who organized small boat crossings for migrants, including children as young as 5, has been imprisoned in the UK.
Following an NCA inquiry, Mustaf Cunaj, 41, part of a people smuggling network, received a nine-year prison sentence on Tuesday.
Deterrence
The number of crossings since the start of 2024 reflects a 20 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The Home Office has detected 6,667 migrants attempting to cross to the UK so far this year, surpassing last year’s figure of 5,546. In 2022, 6,691 crossings were identified.
The recent deaths in the English Channel contribute to the hundreds of reported fatalities at sea among migrants seeking to reach the UK. According to the Border Force, over 120,000 crossings have been noticed since recording commenced in 2018.
The Home Office also stated that this year, the top three most common nationalities among migrants arriving on small boats are Vietnamese, Afghani, and Iranian.
Home Secretary James Cleverly affirmed that the UK government is taking all necessary steps to prevent illegal small boat crossings.
Under the bill, individuals who enter Britain illegally, including those who crossed the English Channel in small boats, will be flown to Kigali.
“We introduced the Rwanda Bill to dissuade vulnerable migrants from risky crossings and disrupt the criminal gangs profiting from them. The enactment of this legislation will make it clear that if you arrive here illegally, you will not be allowed to remain,” Mr. Sunak mentioned in a statement on Tuesday.
Opponents of the scheme argue that it will not resolve the issue of small boats and call for a more comprehensive set of policies.
The government aims to commence Rwanda scheme flights by July.
PA Media contributed to this report.
