British police have arrested three men in connection with the deaths of five migrants, including a child, who died while attempting to cross the English Channel from France. The tragedy occurred on Tuesday when a small, overcrowded boat carrying 112 people set out to cross one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. Panic ensued among the passengers near the shore, and rescuers were able to save approximately 50 people, with four requiring hospitalization. However, some individuals remained on the boat, determined to reach British shores.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) identified the three men, two Sudanese nationals aged 22 and 19, and a South Sudanese national aged 22, and detained them on Tuesday night on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration and illegally entering the UK. NCA Deputy Director of Investigations Craig Turner emphasized the grave threat to life posed by these crossings and the importance of targeting criminal gangs involved in organizing them. The NCA is collaborating with French police to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
It was determined that 55 individuals who were believed to have been on board the boat had arrived in Britain. This year, over 6,000 people have entered Britain via small, overloaded boats, often flimsy inflatable dinghies, risking being overwhelmed by waves as they attempt to reach British shores.
The deadly crossing on Tuesday occurred shortly after the British parliament passed a bill that would allow asylum seekers arriving in Britain without permission to be deported to Rwanda. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak believes this policy will deter people from attempting the perilous cross-Channel journey.
