Three people, including two children, died overnight off the coast of Calais on Wednesday as they attempted to cross the English Channel, French authorities said.
The Prefect of Pas-de-Calais, Laurent Touvet, told reporters the fatalities were discovered after a rescue by the assistance and rescue tug Abeille Normandie at about 05:00 local time (04:00 BST). The boat was off Sangatte, near Calais. Mr. Touvet said the ages of the children were not yet known and that the vessel had been carrying 38 people. He added that the victims were likely crushed at the bottom of the boat.
Touvet said three people on a separate boat attempting to cross at Neufchâtel-Hardelot were unaccounted for. A third vessel, carrying 115 people, was rescued by a French navy patrol boat; authorities reported no injuries on that boat. "Probably the highest number we've ever seen," Touvet said of the 115-person craft. He blamed smuggling gangs for the deaths and said authorities would pursue those responsible.
The deaths come amid a surge in small-boat crossings and repeated maritime tragedies in the Channel. French coastguard records show more than 20 people are thought to have died in Channel crossings so far this year. A woman died on Tuesday after attempting to cross the Channel in a small boat off the coast of Dover.
More than 30,000 people have reached the UK in small boats so far in 2025, and more than 50,000 have crossed since the Labour government took office in July 2024. Last year, the French coastguard recorded about 50 deaths related to Channel crossings, described at the time as the deadliest year since the migration crisis escalated.
In July, France and the United Kingdom reached an agreement designed to deter crossings by returning migrants: a "one in, one out" returns deal that envisages returning to France one migrant for each person with a strong asylum case allowed to enter the UK. Officials on both sides have said such measures are intended to reduce the numbers attempting the dangerous crossing, but authorities continue to carry out frequent search and rescue operations when boats are reported or detected.
French maritime and police authorities are continuing investigations into the circumstances of the deaths and the condition of the vessels involved. Local prefecture services and national agencies cooperate on rescue operations and inquiries into smuggling networks that facilitate Channel crossings.