Two children are among three people to have died in the English Channel overnight in a small boat tragedy, French authorities report.
A new deadly incident unfolded on board a small boat that was packed full of asylum seekers making the dangerous journey across the busy shipping, lane just hours after a woman was declared dead in a separate incident on Tuesday.
Last night’s incident occurred off the coast of Pas-de-Calais, close to the small town of Sangatte, regional prosecutor Laurent Touvet said this morning.
He told reporters it is thought the three people to have died were ‘crushed at the bottom of the boat’. A total of 72 people were on board at the time.
More than 40 were rescued from the dinghy but 28 refused any assistance from the French Coastguard and continued their journey.
A third boat also got into difficulty overnight, with three people reported missing. In total, the French coastguard said 194 people have been rescued yesterday and today.
In a post on X, French authorities blamed smuggling gangs for the tragedy and said it is ‘determined to combat them’.
They also issued thanks to police, firefighters, civil protection volunteers, and sea rescue services for scrambling to aid the boats.
Two children are among three people to have died in the English Channel overnight in a small boat tragedy, French authorities report (stock image)
A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to the Border Force compound in Dover, Kent, on Tuesday
Last night’s incident occurred off the coast of Pas-de-Calais, close to the small town of Sangatte, regional prosecutor Laurent Touvet (centre) said this morning
The French authorities deployed emergency teams and a Navy helicopter during the attempted search and rescue of the overloaded boat.
A total of 44 people were rescued from the overloaded boat, including three who were unresponsive at the scene and pronounced dead soon after.
Three other migrants were airlifted by the French Navy Dauphin helicopter to Boulogne-sur-Mer hospital for treatment.
A statement from the Maritime Prefecture on Wednesday afternoon said: ‘During the night of September 9-10, 2025, the intervention, assistance, and rescue tug (RIAS) Abeille Normandie was engaged by the CROSS to search and rescue an overloaded boat.
‘Once on site, the boat’s passengers requested assistance. 44 people were rescued by the Abeille Normandie, including three unresponsive people.’
They added: ‘During this same operation, three people were airlifted by the Dauphin helicopter to the Boulogne-sur-Mer hospital for treatment, and 38 people rescued aboard the Abeille Normandie were disembarked in Boulogne-sur-Mer early in the morning of September 10.
‘Twenty-eight of the boat’s occupants refused the offered assistance and continued on their way.’
One person was successfully resuscitated by emergency services after entering the water, French newspaper Le Monde reported.
Earlier on Tuesday, a woman was confirmed dead following a rescue operation by the UK Coastguard in response to a small boat in difficulty.
Kent Police said it was made aware of the incident shortly after 1pm.
A spokesperson said: ‘One woman was airlifted back to shore where she was pronounced deceased.
‘Officers are conducing enquiries to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.’
At least 23 people have died trying to cross the Channel in small boats since the start of the year, according to French officials.
It comes as ministers are considering repurposing parts of RAF bases to house migrants in a bid to end the use of asylum seeker hotels.
RAF Scampton is among the sites being mooted as possible accommodation.
French emergency services respond to the tragedy in the Channel overnight which saw the deaths of two children and an adule
The UK Coastguard was scrambled on Tuesday and a woman sadly died while attempting to cross the Channel in a separate incident, which saw a boat get into trouble at around 1pm
A government reshuffle last week saw every minister in the Home Office replaced as Sir Keir Starmer’s government continues to try and convince the public they are getting a grip on immigration.
The new Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has this week floated the policy of suspending access to visas for countries who refuse to enter returns deals with the UK.
It means citizens seeking to travel legally could be penalised if their governments fail to co-operate with deportations from Britain.
Ms Mahmood said on Monday: ‘For countries that do not play ball, we’ve been talking about how we can take much more co-ordinated action between the Five Eyes countries.
‘For us, that means including possibly the cutting of visas in the future, just to say we do expect countries to play ball, play by the rules, and if one of your citizens has no right to be in our country, you do need to take them back.’
More than 30,000 people have arrived in the UK on small boats so far this year.
Following the death of a woman attempting to cross the Channel yesterday, a government spokesperson said the Border Force ‘responded to reports of a migrant boat in distress in the Channel at 1245 this afternoon’.
They continued: ‘One passenger was found unresponsive and was given CPR. Sadly, we can now confirm that this individual has died.’
They said the government was ‘shocked and saddened by this tragic incident’.
‘Our immediate thoughts are with all of those who have been affected,’ the spokesperson said.
‘This latest tragedy underlines the terrible dangers of small boat crossings, and we continue to do everything we can to prevent callous criminals exploiting vulnerable people.’
Amnesty International UK’s chief executive Sacha Deshmukh said: ‘It’s heartbreaking to learn once again that people have died seeking safety in the UK.
‘Too often, the humanity of those crossing the Channel – their hopes, fears and desperation – is lost amid the hostile rhetoric of ‘stopping the boats’ and the toxic atmosphere fuelled by anti-migrant protests.
‘It is utterly irresponsible to deny people safe routes to protection, even when they have family here ready to support them.
‘The Government should be working urgently with European partners to expand safe pathways, meet its legal and moral obligations, and put human lives and dignity at the heart of policy.’
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