A 27-year-old Sudanese man was arrested Saturday by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in connection with the deaths of four migrants who drowned in the English Channel on Thursday. He was detained in Manston, Kent, and is being questioned by investigators.
The NCA said the suspect was arrested on suspicion of endangering the lives of others during a sea journey — an offence introduced this year under new UK border security laws — and that he is believed to have been involved in illegally ferrying people from France to the UK.
French and UK authorities say the incident occurred early Thursday off Équihen Beach near Boulogne-sur-Mer. Two men and two women drowned after they were unable to wade out and board a motorised “taxi-boat” that would have taken them toward the UK. Another 38 migrants were pulled from the Channel’s strong currents and rescued.
The man arrested and more than 70 other migrants completed the crossing and were met by UK officials on arrival; survivors will be questioned about the journey, the NCA said.
Smugglers have adopted a ‘taxi’ tactic in recent weeks, using motorised inflatables that wait at prearranged pick-up points while migrants run into the water to climb aboard. That approach has grown after French police began puncturing inflatable boats on beaches. French maritime law also restricts high-speed pursuits at sea because of safety concerns, complicating efforts to intercept crossings.
French authorities said the victims were far from shore and were swept away by dangerous currents.
Both Britain and France say preventing these hazardous Channel crossings is a priority. Mike Tapp, Parliament’s minister for migration and citizenship, called every death in the Channel a tragedy and said law enforcement will continue to work with international partners to stop journeys and hold those responsible to account. He praised the UK Border Security Act for giving officers greater powers to act earlier to disrupt, intercept and dismantle criminal smuggling networks.
Home Office figures show more than 5,000 migrants have reached the UK via the Channel so far this year. Crossings have increased recently, including about 102 migrants rescued in two operations on Wednesday and two other drowning deaths off Calais last week.