Two die as hundreds attempt Channel crossing; dozens rescued
Deadly crossing off northern France underscores ongoing migration challenge as UK-France pact and political pressure grow
Two people died overnight during a failed attempt to cross the English Channel after about 100 people set off in a makeshift boat from the coast of northern France toward the United Kingdom, authorities said. Sixty people were rescued and are being cared for by civil protection, French officials told AFP. A couple and their child with moderate hypothermia were rushed to a hospital in Boulogne, the official said. The incident occurred south of the beaches of Neufchâtel-Hardelot in the Pas-de-Calais region.
Isabelle Fradin-Thirode, a regional official, told AFP that the crossing happened overnight off Neufchâtel-Hardelot as about 100 migrants attempted the journey. She did not provide a final tally of survivors, but said 60 people had been rescued and were being cared for by civil protection, while the others remained unaccounted for at the scene.
At least 25 people have died so far this year attempting the Channel crossing in small boats, according to authorities. Earlier this month, three people died off Calais in what authorities described as likely a crush on the bottom of a packed boat. Last year, 50 people died in the crossing, according to the French coastguard. More than 30,000 people have reached the United Kingdom in small boats so far in 2025, with more than 50,000 having crossed since Labour took office in July 2024.
Britain and France recently agreed on a 'one in, one out' returns deal designed to deter crossings: for each migrant the United Kingdom returns to France, another migrant with a strong asylum case would be brought to Britain.
The political conversation around the crossings has grown sharper. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has described the crossings as totally unacceptable in the past, and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said the people-smugglers behind the attempts are wreaking havoc on Britain’s borders. The incidents continue to highlight the challenges faced by policymakers as they balance border security with humanitarian needs and the processing of asylum applications.