Teenager charged over migrant boat deaths after four people died in English Channel

Ibrahima Bah, 19, is due to appear in court on Monday

A teenager has been charged with people-smuggling after four migrants died when a boat capsized in the English Channel on Wednesday.

Ibrahima Bah, 19, of no fixed address, is being held for facilitating attempted illegal entry into the UK and has been remanded in custody. He will appear before Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on Monday, Kent Police said.

A major rescue operation off the Kent coast began at 2.16am on 14 December after reports of a boat in distress, with the Royal Navy, French navy, Coastguard, RNLI lifeboats, ambulance service and police involved.

A major search and rescue operation was launched in the Channel off the coast of Dungeness, in Kent, on Wednesday (PA)

A total of 39 people were safely brought to shore, while four others were pronounced dead.

The circumstances surrounding the deaths are being investigated by detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, assisted by the National Crime Agency.

A man was arrested in connection with the incident on Friday, and on Sunday Kent Police said the Crown Prosecution Service authorised a charge against Bah of knowingly facilitating the attempted arrival in the UK of people he knew or had reasonable cause to believe were asylum seekers.

Police officers at the Port of Dover after four people died in the tragedy (PA Wire)

Police are continuing to work to establish the identity of those who died and locate their next of kin.

A statement from Kent Police said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised a charge against Ibrahima Bah of knowingly facilitating the attempted arrival in the United Kingdom of people he knew or had reasonable cause to believe were asylum seekers.”