One migrant dies, 72 rescued as small boat packed with more than 110 people tries to cross Channel
Migrant died and 72 others were rescued after a small boat carrying more than 110 people tried to cross the English Channel from France
One migrant died and 72 others were rescued after a small boat carrying more than 110 people tried to cross the English Channel from France overnight in the Gravelines area, the French coastguard said on Friday. The boat was being watched by a rescue vessel when crews moved in to help.
The rescue vessel picked up 72 migrants who were asking for assistance. Crew members then found one person onboard who needed CPR, and a rescue helicopter was sent. The migrant was later pronounced dead.
Rescue effort off northern France
Three other people were reported injured, including one who needed urgent medical care, according to a statement from the local maritime prefecture translated from French. The rescue took place overnight from Thursday to Friday off the coast near Gravelines, a key departure point on the northern French coast for boats attempting the crossing.
The episode underlines how dangerous these crossings remain. Small boats are often overcrowded, fragile and at the mercy of weather and currents. When they fail, the consequences can turn fast.
Crossings resume after 10-day lull
The fatal rescue came a day after 494 migrants arrived in the UK on Thursday, the first people to successfully cross the Channel in 10 days. Those seven boats were the first to make the journey since August 17, when 250 people arrived.
Overall numbers remain lower than in recent years. Press Association analysis of UK government data shows 16,391 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year, down 43% on the same period last year and 17% lower than at the same point in 2024.
Pressure on both sides of the Channel
British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said she will not be “complacent” about the falling figures and that “there is more we must do.” She has also said she boosted enforcement on French beaches and overseas and brought in new legislation to tackle the factors drawing people to unsafe and illegal routes.
The latest death is a reminder that the crossings continue even as totals fall. French and British authorities are likely to face renewed scrutiny over surveillance, rescue capacity and deterrence efforts as more boats are expected to try again while the weather and departure patterns shift heading into early autumn.
