UK police arrest three of migrants' deaths in Channel

British police have arrested three individuals in connection with the deaths of five migrants, including a child, who perished while attempting to cross the treacherous Channel from France.

The incident happened when a small, overcrowded vessel carrying 112 individuals embarked on a dangerous journey across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. Panic gripped the passengers as their vessel encountered distress not far from the safety of the shore.

According to reports, Rescuers managed to retrieve approximately 50 individuals from the water, with four requiring urgent medical attention. Despite the efforts of authorities, some migrants chose to remain aboard the vessel, resolute in their determination to reach British soil.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) revealed that three men, identified as two Sudanese nationals aged 22 and 19, and a South Sudan national aged 22, were apprehended on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration and unlawfully entering the UK.

The investigation is ongoing as authorities seek to unravel the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.

"This tragic incident once again demonstrates the threat to life posed by these crossings and brings into focus why it is so important to target the criminal gangs involved in organising them," said NCA Deputy Director of Investigations Craig Turner.

"We will do all we can with partners in the UK and France to secure evidence, identify those responsible for this event, and bring them to justice."

French police are also continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, alongside their British counterparts, the NCA said.

It added 55 people who were believed to have been on board the boat which arrived in Britain had also been identified.

More than 6,000 people have arrived in Britain this year via small, overloaded boats - usually flimsy inflatable dinghies - that risk being lashed by the waves as they try to reach British shores.

The deadly crossing on Tuesday took place just hours after the British parliament passed a bill paving the way for asylum seekers who arrive in Britain without permission to be deported to Rwanda, a policy which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak argues will deter people from making the dangerous cross-Channel journey.