Great Britain London appoints head of new border agency

A few hours after the death of eight people when a refugee boat capsized in the English Channel, the British government has announced the appointment of the head of a new border protection agency. Martin Hewitt will be the new head of the Border Force.

Hewitt is to accompany Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Rome on Monday for talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as the government announced in London on Sunday. The fight against irregular immigration will also be on the agenda at the meeting.

According to the authorities, eight people lost their lives when an overcrowded refugee boat capsized on Sunday night. Six survivors were taken to hospital, including a ten-month-old baby. As recently as the beginning of September, twelve people lost their lives while attempting to cross the English Channel. So far, at least 46 people have died during the crossing since the beginning of the year.

SDA