A distraught woman rescued from the Channel begged to join her family on a packed migrant boat on one of the busiest days for crossings so far this year. Dramatic pictures show the woman pleading with lifeboat crews who had pulled her from the water at Plage d’Hardelot near Boulogne-sur-Mer on the north coast of France on Wednesday morning.
Witnesses told how the woman had been trying to get to the boat but became distressed when she was taken to safety and appeared to have been separated from her family on board. She is thought to have been travelling with at least one child who remained on board the dinghy, which emergency services then attempted to reach.
The boat later floated further along the beach and closer to the shore at which point the woman was seen rushing into the water to climb on board to be reunited with her family. In images and footage captured by the Press Association, crowds of people – some carrying children on their shoulders – are seen wading through the water from the beach and many successfully pile onto the dinghy amid hot, sunny weather and calm conditions at sea.
Busiest Day of the Year
A steady stream of crossing attempts took place throughout the day on Wednesday in what is thought could be the busiest day of the year so far. The Home Office will confirm how many people arrived in the UK after making the journey on Wednesday in data published on Thursday. The busiest day for arrivals in 2026 to date is June 15 when 710 people made the journey.
Since the current crisis began in 2018, the highest number of migrant crossings in a single day was recorded on September 3 2022 (1,305). According to Home Office figures, 13,376 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel so far this year. This is 45% lower than the number recorded by this time last year and down 19% on the same period in 2024.
More than 900 made the journey in just five days since Andy Burnham walked into Number 10 last week, including 165 on a so-called “mega dinghy”.
Political Reactions
Speaking to reporters in Derby on Tuesday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham insisted the Government’s plan to curb Channel crossings was “working” but admitted there was “more to do”. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp, who was on the beach watching migrant crossings, claimed he saw more than 100 people attempting to board boats and French police were “doing nothing”.
The former Conservative immigration minister – who had vowed to curb Channel crossings while in post – accused Mr Burnham of being “out of touch” and called for a “proper plan” to tackle the crisis. In April, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood signed a three-year £662 million deal with France which is expected to see police removing hundreds of migrants from beaches every year.
Riot police will be sent on to French beaches to stop migrants entering the Channel as part of measures set to come into force this summer, typically the busiest time of the year for crossings.
