One person died during an illegal attempt to cross the English Channel on a day in which 240 people were brought to Dover by Border Force.
A further 69 people were rescued after the vessel sank off the coast of Calais, the French coastguard confirmed. Just half of those onboard were wearing lifejackets.
Two individuals were found unconscious when brought onto a rescue vessel, according to the coastguard. One was successfully resuscitated by medics, but the other was later pronounced dead in hospital.
The remaining migrants were returned to Calais.
French authorities said several attempted crossings were reported to the Gris-Nez surveillance and rescue centre on Friday night.
In total, 240 people arrived on Saturday (Image: PA)
A French vessel had been monitoring the small boat after it departed Calais, but it began taking on water towards the end of the night. The coastguard said rescue crews “immediately” responded.
The migrant who could not be revived was airlifted by a Belgian sea rescue helicopter to a hospital in Marck-en-Calais, where they were pronounced dead.
A French Navy Dauphin helicopter was deployed to survey the area where the boat sank, ensuring all those onboard had been recovered.
Authorities warned that this section of the Channel is “particularly dangerous, especially in the middle of winter for precarious and overloaded boats,” due to heavy shipping traffic and severe weather conditions.
Footage of migrants rescued from sinking boat in English Channel
Additional “life-saving resources” were deployed in the area in response to the multiple attempted crossings on Friday, the coastguard added.
A total of 240 people were brought to Dover yesterday, according to Home Office figures.
As of February 10, 1,554 people had crossed the Channel since the start of 2025.
In 2024, a total of 36,816 migrants arrived in the UK on small boats. According to the United Nations’ migration agency, it was also the deadliest year on record for Channel crossings.
