Migrant dies as small boat sinks crossing English Channel

An individual has died after a small “overloaded” boat sank whilst making an attempt to pass the English Channel, French government have mentioned.

A complete of 62 humans had been rescued from the water after the boat broke up in a single day on Sunday to Monday, the Maritime Prefect of the Channel and the North Sea mentioned.

A French Navy helicopter serving to with the quest noticed an subconscious individual within the water, who used to be therefore declared lifeless by way of the scientific group on board a French help and rescue intervention tug, French government mentioned.

A mom and her child had been taken to sanatorium in Boulogne-sur-Mer, in France, with hypothermia.

The French tug recovered 50 humans, the RNLI recovered two humans and the Border Force Ranger recovered 9 humans.

The different rescued humans had been taken to Boulogne-sur-Mer quay and sorted by way of the land rescue services and products.

A migrant additionally died looking to pass the Channel in April.

As of closing month, greater than 9,000 humans had crossed the English Channel on small boats in 2025.

This used to be 42% upper than on the similar level in 2024, when the entire stood at 6,265, and 81% upper than on the similar level in 2023, when the entire used to be 4,899.

Home Office figures display extra humans arrived in small boats between January and April 2025 than in the similar four-month duration in any 12 months since information on Channel crossings started in 2018.

The figures come as the federal government has vowed to crack down on people-smuggling around the Channel.