Two women have died while trying to cross the English Channel in a makeshift boat, French authorities confirmed on Saturday. The vessel, carrying about 100 people, got into difficulty overnight off the coast of Neufchâtel-Hardelot in the Pas-de-Calais region.
French official Isabelle Fradin-Thirode told AFP news agency that around 60 people were rescued and are being cared for by civil protection teams. A couple and their child, suffering from moderate hypothermia, were taken to hospital in Boulogne.
Local newspaper La Voix du Nord reported that the women who lost their lives were both from Somalia.
Separate Fatality in Gravelines
In a separate incident on Saturday morning, the body of another migrant was discovered in a canal leading to the sea at Gravelines. French media reported that hundreds of people had gathered in the area on Friday, waiting for better weather conditions to attempt the dangerous journey across the Channel.
Rising Death Toll
The latest fatalities bring the known death toll this year to at least 25. Earlier this month, three people are thought to have died in a crush at the bottom of an overcrowded boat off Calais. Last year, 50 people died attempting the crossing, according to figures from the French coastguard.
Despite the risks, more than 30,000 people have already reached the UK in small boats in 2025, with over 50,000 crossing since Labour came to power in July 2024.
Political Pressure in the UK
The continuing arrivals have fuelled political pressure on the UK government. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has described the crossings as “totally unacceptable”, while Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood condemned the “vile” smugglers behind them, accusing them of “wreaking havoc on our borders”.
In an effort to deter crossings, Britain and France recently struck a “one in, one out” returns deal. Under the arrangement, for every migrant the UK returns to France, another with a strong asylum case who has not attempted a Channel crossing would be accepted into Britain.
