Two men face extradition to France over death of girl in small boat incident

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Two men wanted by French authorities over the death of a young girl who drowned attempting to cross the Channel in a small boat have been arrested.

The little girl died after boarding the boat near Wimereux on April 23, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.

NCA officers arrested Sudanese nationals Al Tahir Abdullah Adam, 24, and Musaab Bashir Altijani, 19, in Hillingdon, west London, on Thursday.

They are wanted in France on suspicion of causing the death.

The two men appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday and were remanded in custody until their next appearance at the same court on Friday.

NCA deputy director of investigations Craig Turner said: “These arrests are the result of an investigation led by the French authorities and supported by the NCA alongside other law enforcement partners.

“We said at the time of this tragic incident that we were determined to do all we can to identify those responsible for this event and bring them to justice, that remains the case.”

The girl was among five people who died when a dinghy carrying more than 100 people set off from a French beach before getting into difficulties.

Three men, a woman and the girl were killed. Some 49 people were rescued but 58 others refused to leave the boat and continued their journey towards the UK.