Three men have been arrested in connection with the deaths of five migrants in the English Channel on Tuesday, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has said. The men were detained on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration and entering the UK illegally.
The arrests followed the deaths of five people, including a seven-year-old girl, who were killed in a crush aboard a boat carrying 112 people. The vessel was one of several small boats that left France early on Tuesday morning.
The men, identified as two Sudanese nationals aged 22 and 19, and a 22-year-old South Sudanese citizen, were arrested in a raid by NCA and Immigration Enforcement officers on Tuesday night. They are being questioned at a police station in Kent.
French authorities said the boat ran into trouble when people began entering the water. The Abeille Normandie patrol boat rescued six people, while 47 others were rescued by French authorities. A further 55 remained on board and later arrived in Dover.
NCA Director of Investigations Craig Turner vowed to target the criminal gangs involved, stating: “This tragic incident once again demonstrates the threat to life posed by these crossings.” The tragedy came hours after Parliament passed the Rwanda bill, aimed at deterring people-smugglers.
