19-year-old due in court charged in connection with migrant boat incident in English Channel

Forensic officers head to the forensic tents erected at the RNLI station at the Port of Dover Credit: PA Wire/PA Images

A teenager is due in court charged with facilitating attempted illegal entry to the UK after four people died when a migrant boat capsized in the Channel on Wednesday.

Ibrahima Bah, 19, of no fixed address, has been remanded in custody and is expected to appear before Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on Monday, Kent Police said.

A major rescue operation off the Kent coast began at 2.16am on December 14 after reports of a boat in distress.

The Royal Navy, French navy, Coastguard, RNLI lifeboats, ambulance service and police were all involved in the operation.

Police forensic officers head to the forensic tents erected at the RNLI station at the Port of Dover Credit: Gareth Fuller/PA

Four people were pronounced dead and a total of 39 people were safely brought to shore.

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

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