On Wednesday, 752 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in nine boats, the Home Office said. The Home Office confirmed this was the 33rd highest day for arrivals since the current crisis began in 2018. The following day, four migrants died in two separate incidents off the French coast.
Four migrants die in two incidents
French authorities reported three people were found dead on a boat off the coast of Dunkirk. A fourth migrant is thought to have drowned in a separate incident near Boulogne-sur-Mer, after a dinghy capsized off the coast of Plage d'Hardelot. A one-year-old was among six people rescued and treated by emergency services, the region's state body the Prefet du Pas-de-Calais said. The highest number of migrant crossings in a single day was recorded on September 3 2022 (1,305).
The latest deaths bring the provisional total of arrivals for the year so far to 14,128, a figure 42% lower than the same period last year and 15% down on 2024.
Government and opposition react
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the Government's plan to curb Channel crossings was “working”, but admitted there was “more to do”. Andy Burnham echoed this during a visit to Cumbria, maintaining “progress is being made on all fronts” and praising “significant progress” made in reducing crossings.
Charity Safe Passage International called the deaths “devastating and avoidable” and urged the Government to “take accountability for the lack of safe routes for refugees”. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp described the tragedies as “preventable”.
The Government said it was “deeply saddened” by the news and vowed to “continue working relentlessly with the French and our partners overseas to prevent these perilous journeys”.
New French deal to curb crossings
The Home Office insisted the Government was “bearing down” on Channel crossings and highlighted a “landmark new payments by results” deal struck by Shabana Mahmood with France. The three-year, £662 million deal is expected to boost enforcement on beaches. Since last month, 125 officers in two extra police units have been deployed on French beaches to disperse migrant groups and stop boats from launching.
However, a video posted by Philp shows a French gendarme who, when confronted on a beach while migrants attempted to board a boat, stated: “Our order is to let them go. We just have to say to them ‘Don’t do that, it’s dangerous.’ We have to protect them.”
