A Sudanese man has been charged in Britain in connection with the deaths of four migrants who tried to cross the English Channel, the National Crime Agency said, as prosecutors used a new immigration law to extend criminal jurisdiction over the journey. The charge targets conduct tied to a sea crossing from France, according to authorities, and places the case before the courts in England.
The NCA said Alnour Mohamed Ali, 27, was charged late Friday and appeared for the first time at Folkestone Magistrates Court in connection with the incident. Prosecutors alleged that Ali entered the United Kingdom illegally by water from France and, during the voyage, caused or created a risk of death or serious injury, allegations read out during the court appearance in Folkestone, the agency said.
Ali denied the allegations in court. “I didn’t do that,” he said through an interpreter, according to the NCA. After the hearing, the agency said he was returned to custody and ordered to appear May 11 at Canterbury Crown Court.
Authorities said four migrants died Thursday while trying to board the boat Ali allegedly piloted off the coast of Calais. The NCA said the deaths occurred while the group was attempting to get onto the vessel in strong currents.
The agency said French authorities rescued 38 people from the waters. It said Ali and another 73 migrants continued on to England, where he was arrested.
The incident took place at Equihen Beach in Calais, as migrants tried to wade out to what authorities described as a “taxi-boat,” typically a small motorized inflatable that picks up people along stretches of northern France. The tactic has become more popular with smugglers as police on the beaches try to disrupt departures by puncturing the rafts that migrants inflate and carry to the water.
British prosecutors said the new immigration law allows Britain to extend the reach of its criminal jurisdiction to crack down on migrants making the dangerous crossing, the NCA said. The agency also noted that under maritime law, French police generally do not try to stop boats on the water because doing so would put lives at risk.
In recent days, authorities said there has been an increase in attempted crossings and deaths in the Channel, including a rescue of 102 people in two operations on Wednesday, and two deaths last week in similar circumstances north of Calais.