Two dead as Channel crossing attempt turns deadly as rescue operations continue
Nighttime Channel crossing off northern France results in fatalities and a large rescue effort, highlighting ongoing concerns over small-boat arrivals and rising political pressure in Europe.
Two people died overnight after about 100 migrants set out in a makeshift boat to cross the English Channel from northern France, authorities told AFP. The incident occurred off the Pas-de-Calais coast south of Neufchâtel-Hardelot. Sixty people were rescued and are being cared for by civil protection teams, French officials said.
A couple and their child, suffering from moderate hypothermia, were rushed to a hospital in Boulogne, according to Isabelle Fradin-Thirode, a French official cited by AFP.
The overnight crossing is the latest in a string of deadly attempts along the Channel. Officials said at least 25 people have died so far this year attempting the crossing in small boats. Earlier this month, three people died near Calais in what authorities believe was a crush on the bottom of a packed boat.
Last year, about 50 people died while attempting to cross the Channel, according to French coastguard figures. More than 30,000 people have reached the United Kingdom in small boats so far in 2025, and more than 50,000 have crossed since Labour came to power in July 2024.
The episode comes as the UK government faces broader pressure over migrant crossings and asylum-seeker applications. France and the UK recently agreed on a one-in, one-out returns deal designed to deter boats. Under the agreement, for each migrant the UK returns to France, another migrant who has a strong asylum case will come the other way. Politicians have pressed leaders to act; Sir Keir Starmer has called the crossings totally unacceptable, and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said the smugglers behind them are vile.