Egyptian man arrested in connection to illegal Channel crossing which led to death of a woman last week
400 migrants have been able to reach British waters in the last day alone (file photo)
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An Egyptian national has been arrested following an illegal Channel crossing on Sunday which left a woman dead.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) said officers arrested a man on Monday in Manston, Kent, on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration in connection with the crossing.
French authorities were alerted to a boat in trouble in the Channel in the early hours and attended the scene, and though the woman was recovered and airlifted to hospital, she later died.
The NCA said the boat then continued its journey to the UK, with around 40 people arriving in Dover.
Some 40 people arrived in Dover in the crossing that led to the 29-year-old's arrest (file photo)
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The 29-year-old Egyptian has been bailed pending further inquiries while the NCA works with French authorities to determine what led to the woman's death.
NCA Branch Commander Mark Howes said: "This tragedy demonstrates how dangerous these crossings are, and our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the individual who died.
"Working with partners we remain determined to do all we can to target, disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks involved in organised immigration crime, and prevent them from exploiting the desperation of others."
Charities in France held a vigil for the woman, who is understood to have been travelling alongside her family to reach the UK illegally.
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Refugee charities have blamed politicians for the migrant crisis
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The Refugee Women's Centre, which campaigns for a "dignified and respected welcome" for migrants, insisted the death was "not the fault of the family", blaming politicians instead.
The arrest comes as GB News revealed that more than 3,000 small boat migrants have crossed the Channel illegally since Labour came to power.
Though Sir Keir Starmer had promised to "smash the gangs" as part of an intensified effort to go after the organised criminals behind a multi-million-pound illegal enterprise, some 400 migrants have been able to reach British waters in the last day alone.
On his first day in office, the new Prime Minister scrapped the Conservative Government's Rwanda deterrent scheme and branded it a "gimmick."
Over 3,200 migrants have reached the UK since the General Election
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But today's latest arrivals have raised the total number of migrants who have made the illegal crossing since the election to more than 3,200.
The figure for the year so far is almost 17,000.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "We all want to see an end to the dangerous small boat crossings, which are undermining border security and putting lives at risk.
"The new Government is taking steps to boost our border security, setting up a new Border Security Command which will bring together our intelligence and enforcement agencies, equipped with new counter-terror-style powers and hundreds of personnel stationed in the UK and overseas, to smash the criminal smuggling gangs making millions in profit."