Four people die trying to cross Channel in small boats
Four migrants died in two separate incidents while attempting to cross the English Channel in small boats. French authorities are investigating the incidents, which occurred as hundreds of people continue to make the dangerous journey to the UK.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the dangers associated with illegal maritime migration routes into the UK.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, An inflatable small boat pictured in April 2026
Four people died trying to cross the Channel in small boats overnight, French officials have said.
One man died after a vessel capsized off France's northern coast late on Wednesday, with a one-year-old child among those injured.
Separately, three people were found dead aboard a small boat early on Thursday after launching from Dunkirk overnight, some 100km (62 miles) up the coast.
French officials confirmed their deaths after several hundred people crossed the Channel into the UK on Wednesday.
The first boat capsized off the coast at Hardelot around 23:30 local time (21:30 GMT) on Wednesday.
The man is thought to have been in his thirties or forties, officials added. Six other people including the child sustained minor injuries.
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