A 27-year-old Sudanese man has been arrested on suspicion of endangering life after four people died while attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat on Thursday. The National Crime Agency (NCA) made the arrest at the Manston processing centre in Kent on Friday.
The victims—two men and two women—died after being swept away by strong currents while trying to board a dinghy off the French coast, according to François-Xavier Lauch, the prefect of Pas-de-Calais. The vessel was described as a 'taxi-boat', used by smugglers to pick up migrants along the northern French and Belgian coasts.
Human rights organisations, including Humans For Rights Network and Project Play, condemned UK and French policies, stating that increased police enforcement on beaches has led to the use of more dangerous taxi-boats. 'Such embarcations are a direct result of policies pursued by the UK and France which have seen an intensification in the violent interception of people and boats,' they said.
The suspect was arrested under the new Border, Security, Asylum and Immigration Act on suspicion of 'endangering another during a journey by sea to the UK'. He remains in police custody for questioning. A French-led investigation into the deaths is ongoing.
NCA deputy director Craig Turner said: 'Working with colleagues at home and abroad, we are determined to do all we can to identify and bring to justice those responsible for these four tragic deaths.' Mike Tapp, minister for migration and citizenship, added: 'Every death in the Channel is a tragedy.'
