Arrest after woman dies crossing Channel, charity says deaths ‘must stop’

A man has been arrested after a woman died while attempting to cross the Channel, a charity warned that deaths cannot be ignored.

According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), officers arrested an Egyptian man in Manston, Kent, on Monday on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration in connection with the Channel crossing that left the woman dead off the coast of Calais on Sunday.

According to the agency, the boat continued its journey to the UK and about 40 people arrived in Dover.

An NCA spokesman said the 29-year-old man has been released on bail pending further inquiries as they work with French authorities to establish what led to his death.

The woman who lost her life was traveling with her family, it emerged Monday night during a vigil in Parc Richelieu in Calais. The family had worked with the Center for Refugee Women in the weeks before their departure.

The Groupe deces speaker, who asked not to be named, said the Refugee Women’s Centre had made it clear that it was “not the family’s fault” and that responsibility lies with elected officials, as they continue to campaign for safe passage and a “dignified and respected welcome” for people.

The French coast guard has confirmed the deaths of seven migrants in the Channel so far in July.

NCA Branch Commander Mark Howes said of the incident last weekend: “This tragedy highlights how dangerous these border crossings are, and our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the person who has died.

“Working with partners, we remain determined to do everything we can to target, disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks involved in organised immigration crime, and prevent them from exploiting the desperation of others.”

Angele Vettorello, coordinator at the charity Utopia 56, told the PA news agency that the situation at the border was a “political choice” by France, Britain and the European Union and that the past week had been “really tough” for people on the move.

Ms Vettorello said: “We are talking about people dying, we are talking about people being injured, we are talking about people suffering from very serious mental health problems, from terrible living conditions and I think we cannot ignore that, we cannot ignore that it is the politicians who are responsible.

“It’s about people’s lives, this all has to stop.”

The volunteer said Tuesday that some who tried to cross in the morning were stopped by police. Utopia 56 has seen about ten people trying to cross and that they were “completely exhausted.”

She added that the process will become longer and more difficult for people if there are fewer boats, but “at some point they will cross”.

“The conditions here at the border are really tough and difficult, so sometimes crossing the border is the only way to find a new life.

“We meet people who say: ‘We can’t do anything else now, I have family there, we want to cross over’.”

Near Calais, a camp was seen with clothes hanging from metal fences, an outside sink and a large awning where residents sat in the shade, next to tents set up in an abandoned building.

Residents huddled together and walked in and out of the makeshift home after collecting food from a nearby distribution point.

According to Flore Judet, a volunteer at Auberge des Migrants, it is the largest housing facility in Calais this year, with around 300 people registered last week, although she added: “It is really complicated to get accurate figures… because people are on the move.”

A sign from a foundation supporting migrants in Calais said the charity Refugee Community Kitchen had cooked 13,188 meals for people in Calais and Dunkirk in June this year.

The warehouse, which PA visited, was home to several projects, including distributing toys and SIM cards to people in Calais, and storing essential items such as sleeping bags, clothing and tents, ready for distribution.

Ms Judet, programme and communications coordinator for the group, said of the challenges of the work: “The most obvious thing is that people are dying, (it’s) very difficult to manage, you feel so powerless.”

On the crossings, she added: “The fact that there are fewer boats doesn’t mean people won’t cross. They are struggling here.”

So far this year, more than 16,000 people have crossed the Channel into the UK.