BBC tracks down smuggler behind English Channel crossing which killed girl, 7 | BBC News

A BBC investigation has tracked down a people smuggler who organised a small boat crossing to the UK in which a seven-year-old girl died.

Five people died in a crush onboard an overcrowded small boat as it crossed the English Channel, including the girl, named Sara.

Smugglers had packed over 100 people on to the inflatable vessel.

As of 26 June, 13,195 people had crossed the Channel in 2024 - above the numbers for the same period in the previous four years.

#BBCNews

[jamiejamking]

Love how the bbc can easily track this guy down but the police cant

[johnvonhorn]

So the BBC can track down the smuggler but the whole of European law enforcement can't.

[jamiejamking]

The police could probably track and arrest every people smuggler in Europe but cant be arsed

[aaronbeat]

Her family killed her when they allowed her to get on the dinghy.
The people trafficker just helped with the process.

[MegaWilderness]

Britain is permitting smuggling by not returning them

[MissA]

The RNLI are supposed to promote water safety but by continuously being a taxi service for the people smuggling trade they are doing the complete opposite! and just encouraging more and more to risk the crossing from safe country France.

[AthelstanEngland]

Media and politicians to blame. If we had turned the boats back from day one and deported back to France those that arrived this would have been over the first summer. You are all complicit.

[The_Reality_Filter]

Shame you couldn't "track down" Sir Jimmy Saville...even when he was working for you for 40+ years you still couldn't track him down. I wonder why...

[b.nichols]

Kids born in Europe, so why coming to UK for asylum?

[flibberdob]

Stopping the people who once occupied the campsite at Calais is the last thing the French want to do.

[lukegreenfield]

The parents should be prosecuted for putting her on it aswell

[freedomishealthy]

Everyone who thinks stopping the boats would be “racist” is to blame.

[viewersme]

So why bbc not calling a police same time it doesn't make sense.

[Itskilo]

The smuggler didn't kill her, her father did, when he took her on a dangerous trip from a safe country.

[williamsafari]

we stopped the luftwaffe but can't stop the economic migrants on small boats

[Qkano]

Odd the pic is of a cute child - why not one of the 99% young males which are the reality of the invasion ?

[DilbertWhitehead]

If it is so easy to find these people, what are we paying the French millions for? 🙃

[Roland_Tr_Swing]

France is a safe country this is Frances fault. Every european country they passed through moved them along.

[lyudmilakutsenko]

They can land at any point of your coast. They can have weapons. Your coastal citizens are constantly in danger. You shouldn't let even one person in in such a way.

[xXIamJAEXx]

Invasion of this country and this is how you portray it, more brilliant work by BBC