A TEENAGER has been 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, has been remanded in custody and is set to appear before Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on Monday, Kent Police confirmed.
A major rescue operation took place off the Kent coast in the early hours of December 14 following reports of a boat in distress.
The Royal Navy, French navy, Coastguard, RNLI lifeboats, ambulance service and police were all involved.
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.
