The four migrants who died in mid-December in the sinking of their boat in the English Channel, off the English coast, seem to be from Afghanistan and Senegal, according to the first elements of the British police investigation reported on Friday.
Four migrants, including a teenager, died in the sinking of their boat trying to reach the United Kingdom on a makeshift dinghy in the early morning of December 14.
Thirty-nine were rescued from the freezing waters of the English Channel thanks to the rapid intervention of a nearby fishing vessel, before the launch of a vast Franco-British rescue operation.
The victims are not formally identified
It is "
possible
" that two of the deceased victims were Afghans while the others were Senegalese, Inspector Ross Gurden of the Kent Police (south of England) said Friday at a court hearing in Maidstone.
Read alsoChannel: more than 160 migrants rescued off the French coast
"
The tentative cause of death is consistent with drowning
," he added.
The victims have not been formally identified.
A 19-year-old man was charged in the case with "
facilitating attempted unlawful entry
" and pleaded not guilty.
The tragedy came as the UK faces a record influx of illegal migrants across the Channel, with more than 45,000 arrivals since the start of the year.
Plan to fight against illegal immigration
The Conservative government, which has failed to curb the phenomenon despite its repeated promises, announced in mid-December a new plan to combat illegal immigration, including special measures to facilitate the expulsion of Albanians, who are increasingly numerous , and reduce the huge backlogs in the processing of asylum applications.
He also hopes to launch his deportations of migrants - whatever their origin - to Rwanda as soon as possible before their asylum application is even examined, after obtaining the green light from justice this week.