Migrant dies in latest tragedy during English Channel crossings

Some 86 migrants were rescued off the coast of Calais, including one unconscious person who could not be saved.

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, on a Border Force vessel (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)

A migrant has died in the English Channel as “yet another life” was lost, following five other deaths of people attempting the journey in the last week.

Five people were pulled from the water after a “heavily loaded” boat got into difficulty off the coast of Calais, France, at around 1am on Friday, the French coastguard said.

Some 86 migrants were rescued and brought on board the French ship PSP Cormoran, but one unconscious person could not be saved, it added.

All the survivors were taken to Calais.

A Number 10 spokeswoman said: “It is a tragedy that yet another life has been lost and the Prime Minister spoke to such an incident just yesterday.”

She said the incident “underlines the stark reality of the dangers of these crossings and the callousness of the criminal gangs who are driving this”.

The spokeswoman said the Prime Minister and Home Secretary are “working to address this and step-up enforcement”, including through “work we’ll be carrying out with European partners”.

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesperson said a UK Border Force vessel was sent to “support the response” co-ordinated by French authorities after receiving a report of a boat in difficulty.

The latest death comes after one person died and 71 others were rescued in an incident off the coast of northern France on Wednesday, and four migrants died in the English Channel on July 12.

Some 317 migrants arrived in the UK in six boats after crossing the Channel on Thursday, according to Home Office figures.

It brings the provisional total of migrants arriving via the English Channel in 2024 so far to 15,076.

This is 9% higher than the number recorded this time last year (13,774) and 0.2% down on the same period in 2022 (15,106), according to PA news agency analysis of Government data.

Boats continued to cross the Channel on Friday.

Speaking on Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the deaths are a “chilling reminder of the human cost” of people smuggling, as he vowed to tackle the issue at the European Political Community summit.

A Border Force vessel assisted the French rescue operation on Wednesday, after which all rescued migrants were returned to Calais.

The Home Office denied there had been a change in policy amid reports the Border Force had returned migrants to Calais for the first time ever.

Speaking on Friday, armed forces minister Luke Pollard welcomed the “effort by Border Force to make sure we are tackling that cross-Channel smuggling operation”.

Asked whether there is a new policy for Border Force to return small boats to France, he told LBC Radio: “We’ll be working out the full policy and how it works. I’m afraid it’s not as simple as taking every single boat back to the French shore.

“But what we have seen is French ships intercepting some of those dinghies travelling across the Channel and returning to France. We’d like to see more effort put in place like this, so we’re stopping that illegal trade.”