Channel crossings: Sudanese man who died trying to reach UK is named

Abdulfatah Hamdallah had been living in makeshift camps in Calais for two months

A Sudanese man who died while trying to reach the UK in a small boat has been named as Abdulfatah Hamdallah.

French authorities said the 28-year-old attempted to cross the English Channel in a dinghy, using shovels as oars.

His body was found on Sangatte beach, near Calais, on Wednesday, three hours after a rescue operation ended.

Investigators have been told by a friend that he had earlier sought asylum in France, but said they did not know the outcome of the application.

Adam Ali, who lived with Mr Hamdallah in Nantes, said he had applied for asylum in France in 2018 and only recently learnt that it been "rejected by the court".

After learning of the rejection, Mr Hamdallah would speak everyday about how he "wants to go to the UK, any way [he can]", Mr Ali said.

He had been living in a makeshift camp in Calais for two months, prosecutor Philippe Sabatier said.

A search and rescue operation began at about 02:00 BST on Wednesday after a Sudanese teenager with hypothermia was found on the beach.

He told authorities that his friend was missing and could not swim.

French authorities initially believed he was 16, but later found he was carrying an identity document stating he was 28.

'Personal initiative'

"It would seem from the statements made by [the survivor] that he applied for asylum in France," Mr Sabatier said, adding that he did not know if the request had been granted.

Mr Sabatier said the pair had fallen into the water after their inflatable dinghy had been punctured by one of the shovels.

"In terms of a personal initiative taken by these two migrants, no connection could be established with any immigration network," Mr Sabatier said.

Home Secretary Priti Patel was criticised on Wednesday after saying the death was a "brutal reminder of the abhorrent criminal gangs and people smugglers who exploit vulnerable people".

Labour MP Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow home secretary, said the government's response to the rise in crossings had been "lacking in compassion and competence".

Dan O'Mahoney, a former Royal Marine appointed early this month to the new role of "clandestine Channel threat commander", met French authorities in Paris and Calais on Thursday.

He held "positive discussions about enhancing operations with increased surveillance, aerial support, further intelligence sharing and patrols in northern France", he said.

"This week's incident, where a Sudanese migrant lost his life attempting to cross the Channel, served as a tragic reminder of the vital importance of the work the UK and France are engaged in to make this route completely unviable," he added.

On Friday, five men in a boat were picked up by Border Force amid high winds in the Channel.