UK police arrest Sudanese man after death of woman found on French beach

28 September 2023 - 09:07
By Michael Holden
He is suspected of having piloted a boat which arrived in British waters on Tuesday, the NCA said.
Image: Pascal Rossignol/Reuters/ File photo He is suspected of having piloted a boat which arrived in British waters on Tuesday, the NCA said.

British police said they had arrested a Sudanese man on Wednesday after the body of a woman, suspected of having tried to cross the Channel in a small boat, was found on a French beach.

The woman's body was discovered on Tuesday on a beach near the French town of Calais, from where thousands of migrants make the perilous journey across the Channel to Britain in dinghies and small boats.

The National Crime Agency said the 21-year-old man had been detained in the southern English port of Dover on suspicion of illegal entry and facilitating illegal immigration.

He is suspected of having piloted a boat which arrived in British waters on Tuesday, the NCA said.

“This incident demonstrates the danger posed to those making these crossings,” said NCA Deputy Director Craig Turner.

“Targeting the criminal networks involved is a priority for the NCA, and we are working with French partners to identify those responsible for this tragic death.”

According to official British figures, 212 migrants arrived in Britain without permission on Tuesday in three boats.

Stopping the Channel crossings from France is a top priority for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, but so far this year more than 24,000 people have been detected despite his promise to “stop the boats”.

Britain's Home Secretary Suella Braverman also warned on Tuesday that uncontrolled migration posed an “existential challenge” to Western nations as she called for the rewriting of the United Nations refugee convention.

Reuters