Four people die trying to board boat in Channel crossing attempt
Four people died off the coast of northern France after attempting to board a boat to carry them across the English Channel, according to local authorities.
At a news conference, two men and two women died after they tried to board a water taxi
and
the news, which can be risky here, swept them away,
the Pas-de-Calais prefecture said, adding that the death toll was also "provisional.
Thirty-eight people were rescued, three of whom were treated as emergencies by authorities, including two children who were admitted to the hospital as a precaution.
The boat remained on its journey into the United Kingdom, carrying about 30 passengers.
The deaths were deeply sad
to hear about, according to a UK government spokesperson.
Every death in the Channel is a tragedy and a stark reminder of the dangers that criminal gangs exploit vulnerable people for profit,
the spokesperson said.
To avoid these treacherous journeys, we will continue to work assiduously with the French and our international allies.
At first light on Thursday morning, rescue efforts began at around 07:30 local time (06:30 BST) – south of Boulogne-sur-Mer in Pas-de-Calais.
The four children who died were already very far into the sea,
Francois-Xavier Lauch, the representative of the Pas-de-Calais prefecture, said.
Since the UN's International Organization for Migration Agency registered two cases earlier this year, the total number of confirmed deaths due to migrant crossings in the English Channel has increased to six.
Due to the calm weather in the Channel, the number of attempted crossings has increased in recent days.
Following rumours in French media that the French government had turned down UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's plan to send British Border Force vessels to intercept and return small boats.
The Refugee Council charity's director, Imran Hussain, said that dangerous Channel crossings would not be prevented until the UK opens up more "secure routes.
People are left feeling they have no other option but to relive their lives,
he said.
"Policing the Channel alone is not sufficient to prevent dangerous crossings. The government should partner closely with our European neighbours to share accountability and ensure more accessible routes for people to visit the UK without having to take lengthy routes.
For information, the Home Office has been contacted.
Crossings in the Channel have increased over the past three years, with 41,472 people arriving in the UK by small boat in 2025.
A total of 4,903 people crossed the English Channel between 1 January and April 2026 by a small boat from France.
This is 28% less than the number who had reached the UK by this time in 2025, which was 6,796, although weather may have played a role in this.
People smugglers have started using taxi boats to escape police.
The people smuggling bands are launching their boats at safer locations, often hundreds of kilometres from the main departure beaches, rather than inflating their boats in the dunes along the coast, close to police patrols.
They then cruise along the coast, like taxis or buses, picking up their paying customers who now sit in the sea, out of reach of the police.
