Two children were among three people who died after a small boat carrying migrants got into difficulty overnight in the English Channel, French authorities said, in an incident that came only hours after a separate crossing in which a woman died in UK waters.
The overnight incident occurred off the coast of Pas-de-Calais, near the town of Sangatte, regional prosecutor Laurent Touvet told reporters. Authorities said 38 people were on board the dinghy; 35 were rescued and taken ashore at about 5 a.m., and three were found dead. Touvet said it was believed the three victims had been "crushed at the bottom of the boat." One person who entered the water was resuscitated by emergency services, French media reported.
French authorities said a third small boat also got into difficulty overnight and three people were reported missing. In a post on X, France’s authorities blamed smuggling gangs for the tragedies and said they were "determined to combat them," while thanking police, firefighters, civil-protection volunteers and sea rescue services for their efforts.
Earlier on Tuesday, UK authorities responded to a separate small-boat emergency in the Channel. The UK Coastguard said it responded to reports of a migrant boat in distress at 12:45 p.m.; Kent Police said it was made aware of the incident shortly after 1 p.m. A woman was airlifted to shore and pronounced dead. Border Force said one passenger was found unresponsive on board and given CPR but later died. Kent Police said enquiries were under way to establish the circumstances surrounding that incident.
The incidents add to a year of deadly crossings in the Channel. At least 23 people have died attempting to cross the Channel in small boats since the start of the year, and more than 30,000 people have arrived in the UK on small boats so far in 2025, figures cited by officials show.
The incidents come amid renewed political and policy debate in Britain over how to manage small-boat crossings and asylum accommodation. A government reshuffle last week replaced every minister in the Home Office, and ministers have discussed repurposing parts of Royal Air Force bases to house migrants, with RAF Scampton among sites under consideration.
Shabana Mahmood, the new home secretary, has publicly floated tougher measures to secure returns from other countries, saying on Monday that for states that do not cooperate on deportations the UK was "talking about how we can take much more co-ordinated action between the Five Eyes countries," and that measures could include "possibly the cutting of visas in the future." A government spokesperson said it was "shocked and saddened by this tragic incident" and that the deaths underlined the dangers of small-boat crossings.
French and British authorities said inquiries and searches would continue. Regional prosecutors and maritime rescue services in Pas-de-Calais are investigating the circumstances of the overnight sinking, while Kent Police said it was investigating the midday incident in UK waters. Both countries reiterated appeals against using smugglers and the risks posed by crossings in busy shipping lanes.