Eight people have died overnight attempting to cross the Channel from France to England, according to French police. The tragedy occurred after a boat carrying around 60 individuals, including migrants from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, and Iran, encountered difficulties in waters north of Boulogne-sur-Mer in the northern Pas-de-Calais region.
Rescue services were alerted shortly after 01:00 local time (00:00 BST) when the boat, a rubber vessel, got into trouble. Despite efforts to assist, the vessel drifted onto rocks and broke apart. On the beach, emergency services managed to care for 53 survivors and confirmed eight fatalities. Six individuals, including a baby suffering from hypothermia, were hospitalized. No additional survivors were found during subsequent sea searches.
This incident follows another devastating loss less than two weeks ago, where 12 people, including six children and a pregnant woman, perished when their boat sank—marking the deadliest Channel crossing event of the year.
The French coast guard said that the boat in Sunday’s incident was initially observed heading towards a beach in Ambleteuse, but rescue teams could not reach it in time from the sea. An investigation into the disaster has been launched by the Boulogne-sur-Mer public prosecutor’s office.
A UK government spokesperson confirmed the incident and stated that French authorities are leading the response and investigation. Foreign Secretary David Lammy described the loss as “awful” and reiterated the UK government’s commitment to collaborate with European partners to combat people-smuggling gangs and deter small boat crossings.
The past few days have seen a surge in crossing attempts due to calmer weather. On Saturday alone, 801 people crossed the Channel, marking the second-highest daily total this year. French maritime authorities reported rescuing 200 individuals in a 24-hour period over Friday and Saturday from four separate boats, each carrying between 36 and 61 people. Eighteen attempted crossings were monitored by authorities on that day.
Including the latest tragedy, 45 people have died in the Channel this year, the highest reported number since 2021, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration. Over 23,000 people have made the crossing this year.
Amnesty International UK condemned the latest incident as “yet another appalling and avoidable tragedy.” Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, emphasized that the deaths were not “inevitable” and called for a comprehensive approach to address the crisis, advocating for improved access to safe asylum routes rather than relying solely on enforcement measures.