Three men will appear at crown court next month on charges of assisting unlawful entry to the UK after a fishing boat carrying four Iraqi nationals was rescued by Ramsgate RNLI on Thursday (August 9).
The trio appeared at Canterbury Magistrates Court on Saturday.
Jake Sesay, 20, of Harow Road, Clacton and Bradley Turner, 37, of Central Walk Road, Canvey Island were released on bail. John Sheppard, 67, of Radwinter Road, Saffron Walden, was remanded in custody.
They will next appear at Canterbury Crown Court on September 10.
Two men, a pregnant woman and a child who presented themselves as from Iraq were discovered onboard the 25ft fishing boat after it was reported as drifting 8.5 miles off Ramsgate. Two British men were also onboard and were arrested. A third man was arrested at the quay.
The four foreign nationals will have their cases dealt with in line with the immigration rules.
I fear this has been going on a long time in Ramsgate and further along the coast near Sandwich too. In broad daylight and at night regular activities with small boats coming in with foreign nationals, men, women and young children on look very suspicious indeed. There is nothing in place to stop them!