Two people have died and two more have been injured trying to cross the Channel in a small boat, French authorities have said, while 12 anti-migrant protesters on England’s south coast were arrested after what police described as “violent disorder” as they opposed the rescue of nearly 150 more people on a second vessel.
Fatalities during overnight crossing
Authorities in the Pas-de-Calais area said one man in his 30s and another in his 40s died during the overnight crossing from the French coastal town of Berck towards England’s south coast. Two women were taken to hospital after suffering burns over large parts of their bodies.
A spokesperson for the Pas-de-Calais prefecture said: “An investigation has been opened by the Boulogne-sur-Mer public prosecutor’s office to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths. François-Xavier Lauch, the prefect of Pas-de-Calais, thanks all the services involved, particularly the firefighters, for their intervention and commitment during this operation.”
Protesters clash with police in Gosport
Anticipating the arrival of another boat, demonstrators gathered in Gosport in Hampshire on Sunday night. It was the second time protesters had targeted the town amid rumours of rescued people disembarking there.
Referring to the 12 arrests, Hampshire and Isle of Wight police said there had been assaults on a police officer and on an emergency worker, as well as affray and racially aggravated public order offences. A crowd of about 350 people had gathered and a handful of officers were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
Police condemn violence
Simon Dodds, an assistant chief constable, said: “Violence and criminal damage have no part in peaceful protest. Our position on this has been clear that we will investigate thoroughly and take robust action against anyone responsible.
“Last night saw a number of incidents that were clearly not peaceful protest, rather violent public disorder, and this will not be tolerated as we work to keep our wider communities in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight safe.
“Our officers did not deserve to be assaulted as they worked incredibly diligently on Sunday to ensure the safety of everyone in the area. Neither do they, or anyone from our partner agencies, deserve to be singled out online or subjected to abuse via social media. We will work with our colleagues across policing to address any online threats.”
Rescue operations and response
There were similar scenes last month when protesters gathered in the area expecting migrants to arrive on a dinghy but they were ultimately taken to Dover by sea. On Sunday evening, several rescued people were seen arriving at a marina in Gosport after being transported onboard two RNLI boats. Their dinghy was shadowed by French rescue vessels while in the Channel until it was met by RNLI boats in English waters, according to ship tracking data.
The Home Office said 149 people were believed to be onboard. It said: “The Border Security Command works around the clock to protect our border. We have established contingency plans to make sure we can securely disembark, check and process all small boat arrivals. Migrants will be transported to short-term holding facilities in Kent, where they will be processed as normal and undergo stringent health, security and biometric checks.”
Departures from so far west on the northern French coast have been rare in recent years, but it is the third such crossing in a month. In September, British rescue boats collected passengers off a dinghy that had spent about 30 hours at sea after setting off from Normandy. The 51 people, who refused help from the French coastguard, arrived in Dover after being transferred to Border Security Command boats. It had been expected they would be taken to Gosport, with hundreds of protesters gathering after coaches and ambulances were seen in the area. Six people were arrested by officers that evening.
The provisional total for Channel crossings this year is 19,451. This is down 43% on this time last year and 23% below the figure at the same time in 2024.
