Search operations are being conducted to rescue trapped migrants. Source: Twitter
London (UK): Four people perished after a small boat crossing the English Channel overturned, prompting charges of Human trafficking against a teenager.
According to Kent Police, 19-year-old Ibrahima Bah has been charged with aiding an attempt to enter the UK illegally. Her residence is currently unknown.
As per reports, Bah has been placed back in custody and is scheduled to appear at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court next Monday.
Following the Friday arrest of a guy in connection with the incident on Wednesday, the Crown Prosecution Service approved the charge against Bah.
It happened barely a day after Rishi Sunak announced initiatives to reduce the number of individuals making the risky crossings of the English Channel.
Around 3:05 am, the authorities received a report of a tiny boat in trouble, which sparked a concerted rescue effort.
Tear-jerking video footage shows a fishing crew on the Arcturus retrieving passengers who were perilously hanging onto a rope on the side of a partially deflated dinghy.
Additional footage showed terrified people struggling in the Channel’s chilly, choppy waves as rescue lifeboats sped up to them.
According to ship monitoring information, the Arcturus performed a sharp turn in the Channel at around 2 am between Dungeness and the French town of Boulogne-Sur-Mer.
The boat’s owner, Ben Squires, told an English News channel that when his crew was out fishing, they came upon a sinking “rigid” boat.
He stated, “It appears as though the bottom of the rigid inflatable boat with the migrants on had fallen away.” As a result, he claimed, “you had all these people in the sea, in frigid temperatures.”
‘We’re discussing human beings Today, lives, including those of humans and animals, have been lost. But I’m incredibly happy that we were able to save 31, Squires continued.
39 people were saved in a rescue effort that involved the Royal Navy, French navy, Coastguard, RNLI lifeboats, ambulance service, and police.
Officers are working to identify people who have passed away and find their relatives.
The number of persons trying to cross the Channel, which can be deadly, has increased recently.
Refugee advocacy organisations see one of the causes of this is a shortage of safe, legal entry points to the UK.
The UK has also experienced wintry weather, which has caused the Channel to reach negative single digits andexacerbated the already hazardous conditions.
People making the journey have their reasons. Many are fleeing from war and persecution, with six in 10 likely to be granted asylum as a result, researchers found.
And there are good reasons why people travel. Six in ten are likely to receive refuge as a result of the large number of people escaping violence and persecution, according to academics.
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