London — British authorities arrested a man from Sudan on Friday on suspicion of endangering life Four migrants died while trying to climb over An inflatable boat for crossing the English Channel.
Two men and two women died Thursday and 38 others were rescued after they were swept away by strong currents off a French coast where they were attempting to make the dangerous crossing to Britain.
The 27-year-old suspect was one of more than 70 other migrants who continued the journey and was arrested at a migrant processing center on the south-east coast of England under a new border and immigration law that includes a charge of endangering one’s life while traveling to the UK by sea.
It is unclear what role the suspect played in the crossing.
The incident occurred at Equine Beach in Calais as migrants tried to exit what authorities call a “taxi-boat”, typically a small motorized inflatable that ferries people across large stretches of the northern French coast.
This tactic has become more popular among smugglers as police on beaches try to thwart crossings by puncturing boats that have to be inflated and taken out into the water to carry groups of migrants.
Under maritime law, French police do not attempt to stop boats in the water because this puts people’s lives at risk.
The suspect has been detained for questioning, the NCA said. Investigators also planned to interview other channel crossers.
It has seen a surge in recent times tried to cross On Wednesday, 102 people rescued in two operations died. Last week two people died in similar circumstances on the coast north of Calais.
