(In UK) Three Dead, Children Feared Among Victims in Channel Crossing

 

Three people, including children, have died while attempting to cross the English Channel near Calais, French authorities confirmed. The Prefect of Pas-de-Calais, Laurent Touvet, said the victims were likely crushed at the bottom of the overcrowded boat, which had more than 70 people on board. The deceased are believed to be from Egypt and South East Asia. Rescue operations began at dawn when France’s tug vessel Abeille Normandie was dispatched to Sangatte. Forty-four migrants were saved, while three others were hospitalized. A further 28 people on the boat refused rescue and continued toward the UK.

This tragedy unfolded on the same night two other migrant boats attempted Channel crossings. At Neufchâtel-Hardelot, three people remain missing from a separate vessel, while the French navy rescued 115 people from another overcrowded boat, marking what officials called the largest single rescue operation of its kind. The incident adds to a rising death toll in the Channel, with over 20 fatalities reported this year. On Tuesday, a woman died in a similar attempt off Dover.

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Authorities continue to blame smuggling networks for exploiting vulnerable people, stressing that these gangs are directly responsible for the growing number of deaths at sea.

The Channel tragedy comes amid rising political and humanitarian pressure on the UK government. More than 30,000 people have reached Britain in small boats this year, bringing the total to over 50,000 since Labour took office in July 2024. Last year saw 50 confirmed deaths in the Channel, while the UN’s International Organization for Migration reported at least 82 fatalities in 2024, making it the deadliest year on record.

The UK and France recently agreed to a “one in, one out” migrant returns deal, designed to deter crossings by returning migrants while allowing others with strong asylum claims to enter legally. However, critics say the system has not curbed the flow of boats. New Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood called the crossings “utterly unacceptable” and vowed to target criminal smuggling gangs.

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Meanwhile, asylum applications hit a record 111,000 in the year to June. More than 32,000 asylum seekers remain in hotels, though Labour has pledged to end their use. Opposition parties have accused the government of failing to deliver on housing and border security.

The Channel remains one of the world’s most dangerous migration routes, with overcrowded boats, cold waters, and organized crime combining to make each crossing a deadly gamble.