Priti Patel praises the National Crime Agency after 15 suspected human traffickers were arrested over the death of migrants in the Channel
- Priti Patel praises the NCA for the arrest of Channel suspected human traffickers
- The victims drowned in November when their boat sank near the Calais coast
- The tragedy sparked a diplomatic dispute between Boris and President Macron
Home Affairs Minister Priti Patel praised the National Crime Agency last night after more than a dozen suspected human traffickers were arrested over the deaths of 27 migrants in the Channel.
The victims drowned in November when their boat sank off the coast of Calais as they tried to cross into Britain.
The tragedy caused widespread outrage and caused a diplomatic quarrel between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron.
It was reportedly the deadliest incident in the Channel since records were collected almost a decade ago.
Patel praised the NCA for the bust of the suspected human traffickers
Victims on the boat included a seven-year-old child, 17 men under 26, seven women between the ages of 22 and 46 as well as a 16-year-old.
Sixteen of the dead were Kurds from Iraq while four were Afghan men. There were also three Ethiopians, a Somali woman, an Iranian and an Egyptian man.
Now, French immigration investigators, assisted by NCA officials in the UK and abroad, arrested 15 people across France last week in connection with the deaths. Among those detained were citizens of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and France.
This follows five more arrests shortly after the incident.
Those arrested are suspected of being part of a network of middlemen who organized places on the boat for a number of those who died. They will now all be subject to French court proceedings.
Ms Patel said: ‘My thoughts are still with the families of all those who tragically lost their lives in this horrific incident.
Victims on the boat included a seven-year-old child, 17 men under 26, seven women between the ages of 22 and 46 as well as a 16-year-old.
‘The NCA and other agencies across the UK and France will continue their tireless work to provide justice for the victims and their families by identifying those responsible and ensuring they feel the full force of the law.
“By working together – and by the tough new domestic measures we have just introduced into law – we will crack down on the evil human traffickers in our efforts to prevent further loss of life.”
Andrea Wilson, NKW’s Deputy Director of Organized Immigration Crime, said: ‘The events of last November were a tragedy, but at that time our determination to bring those responsible for these deaths to justice did not diminish.
“We have been working closely with our French partners to identify those we suspect were involved.
‘It is also assisted by the Border Force and Maritime and Coast Guard Agency in the UK.
“Many of those involved in organizing these dangerous intersections work outside the UK, so it is essential that we work closely with law enforcement partners in France and beyond to target them.”