The UK’s Channel migrant crisis has taken another tragic turn, with four people – including two children – confirmed dead in separate incidents within the last 24 hours, while three others remain missing. The deaths highlight the mounting dangers facing asylum seekers and migrants attempting to cross the Channel in small boats amid tighter controls and a lack of safe legal routes.
On Tuesday night, three people lost their lives when a dinghy carrying 38 people capsized off the coast of Sangatte, northern France. French authorities also reported that three others went missing in a separate incident near Neufchâtel-Hardelot, where 115 people were onboard another overcrowded vessel.
Earlier that afternoon, a woman died after being rescued on the UK side of the Channel. She was airlifted to Dover but could not be saved.
French officials confirmed that of the three who died off Sangatte, two were from Vietnam and one from Egypt. Laurent Touvet, préfet of Pas-de-Calais, described it as a “difficult and tragic night” and blamed smuggler networks for exploiting vulnerable people.
NGOs Blame Lack of Safe Routes
Humanitarian organisations disputed that smugglers alone are to blame. Lachlan Macrae of Calais Food Collective said increased French policing and the closure of safe routes such as refugee family reunion have made crossings deadlier. Migrants, he said, are now forced to hide lifejackets to avoid police detection, putting lives further at risk.
Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, called the deaths “heartbreaking and needless,” adding: “People only risk the Channel when what they are fleeing is more terrifying than the dangers ahead.”
Record Numbers Crossing the Channel
According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), 85 people died attempting Channel crossings in 2024. A further 24 deaths have already been recorded in 2025 up to mid-August.
Despite the dangers, thousands continue to make the journey. On Sunday alone, 1,097 people crossed the Channel in 17 boats. Home Office figures show more than 30,000 have arrived in 2025, and over 50,000 since Labour took office in July 2024.
The rise follows the UK’s new “one in, one out” agreement with France, under which the UK returns migrants but admits others with strong asylum claims. Critics argue it has done little to reduce crossings.
Government Response
The UK government said it was aware of the latest incident but stressed that French authorities are leading the investigation. A spokesperson added that no further comment would be made at this stage.
