Four migrants died while attempting to cross the English Channel in separate incidents overnight, authorities reported. These deaths occurred just over a day after an estimated 700 migrants reached Britain by small boat on Wednesday, marking what is believed to be the largest number of crossings in a single day this year.
One man died and six others, including a one-year-old baby, were seriously injured when a small boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday off Neufchâtel-Hardelot, south of Boulogne. Local officials described the scene as chaotic, with more than 100 people attempting to board an inflatable vessel designed for a much smaller capacity. Boulogne prosecutors have opened a criminal inquiry into the incident.
In a separate incident off Dunkirk, three women were pronounced dead after emergency services attempted to resuscitate them. The women were reportedly in their 20s, 30s, and 50s.
The events unfolded against a backdrop of political debate over the government's strategy for intercepting small boat crossings. Prime Minister Andy Burnham asserted on Tuesday that the current plan is proving effective, citing a significant year-on-year decrease in crossings. However, Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, who observed migrant departures from a beach in northern France on Wednesday, stated that French gendarmes appeared to have orders not to intervene physically, merely to talk to migrants. Philp criticized the government's £662 million deal with France, signed in April, claiming it has failed to curb crossings.
Unofficial estimates suggest that approximately 730 migrants reached Britain on Wednesday, surpassing the previous high of 710 recorded on June 15. This surge could indicate a potential end to a period of decreased crossings, which had been attributed partly to weather patterns. As of Wednesday, 13,376 arrivals had been recorded this year, a 45 percent decrease compared to the same period last year. However, the total number of small boat migrants reaching Britain since 2018 stands at 205,986.
In response to the crisis, Labour, upon taking office, scrapped the previous government's Rwanda asylum plan and instead focused on increasing police and law enforcement operations to dismantle smuggling gangs. Despite these efforts, last year saw the second-highest number of crossings on record, with 41,500 arrivals.