Sudanese man who drowned trying to reach UK named as Abdulfatah Hamdallah

The 28-year-old migrant is said to have had his asylum application rejected recently in France

Sudan-born Abdulfatah Hamdallah, 28, was found dead on a Calais beach this week after drowning in the English Channel trying to reach Britain. Facebook

The Sudanese man who was found dead on a Calais beach this week after drowning in the English Channel trying to reach Britain has been named as Abdulfatah Hamdallah.

Reports on Wednesday stated that a 16-year-old boy drowned in the Channel before his body was found on Sangatte beach, near Calais, after a walker found his friend suffering from hypothermia on Tuesday night.

But it has since been confirmed that Hamdallah was born in 1992, making him 28, not 16.

The 28-year-old man, who is thought to be from the town of En-Nahud, around eight hours south of Sudan's capital, Khartoum, and which borders conflict-ridden Darfur and the Nuba Mountains, fled the country in 2014.

His relatives told The Guardian that he spent two years in Libya working as a car washer with his older brother before travelling to France via Italy.

Hamdallah, also known as Wajdi, slept rough in France for two months before making the perilous journey across the world’s busiest shipping lane.

He is understood to have recently had his asylum claim rejected in France, leading him to make the dangerous journey to Britain using shovels for oars.

It was also revealed that Hamdallah played football with other migrants in a field only 48 hours before he tried to cross the Channel.

One friend paid tribute to Hamdallah on Facebook.

“'There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, whoever is on the van, and remains the face of your Lord, the glory and dignity, has passed away to the mercy of Allah, my dear friend in the state of France Abdel Fattah, praise be to Allah. We ask God for mercy and forgiveness, Lord.”

British Home Secretary Priti Patel said the incident was an "upsetting and tragic loss of a young life".

"This horrendous incident serves as a brutal reminder of the abhorrent criminal gangs and people smugglers who exploit vulnerable people,” Ms Patel said.

"Working together we are determined to stop them."

Illegal immigrants have been crossing the Channel in record numbers this year, with more than 4,000 people making the perilous journey.

Britain and France announced a new joint task force to thwart illegal crossings last week. Dan O’Mahoney, the UK’s newly appointed Channel threat commander, is continuing talks in France this week.