Select Language:
A group of migrants on an inflatable dinghy departs from the northern coast of France, attempting to cross the English Channel to reach Britain. This scene was captured on the beach of Petit-Fort-Philippe in Gravelines, near Calais, on August 25, 2025, according to Reuters.
French authorities reported that two women, both from Somalia, died Saturday while trying to cross the Channel. Additionally, the body of another migrant was found in a canal. Around 100 people were aboard an overloaded boat off Neufchatel-Hardelot early Saturday morning around 3:15 a.m. (0115 GMT), when they made an attempt to reach the UK. The boat’s engine failed to start, and it returned to shore about an hour later, as stated by the local prefecture.
Civil protection teams managed to rescue and care for 60 migrants, though some who had been on the vessel fled once rescue crews arrived, said Isabelle Fradin-Thirode, an official from nearby Montreuil-sur-Mer. A couple and their child, suffering from moderate hypothermia, were rushed to a hospital in Boulogne.
The body of a man in his late 20s or early 30s was recovered from a canal in Gravelines, near Dunkirk, according to the prefecture and AFP journalists present at the scene. These incidents have increased the death toll for Channel crossings to at least 26 this year, based on official data compiled by AFP. Since January, a record 32,000 migrants have arrived in Britain via small boats crossing the Channel.
A recent Franco-British agreement allows the UK to return migrants to France if they are considered ineligible for asylum, including those who have passed through a “safe country” before reaching UK shores. In exchange, London has committed to accepting an equivalent number of migrants from France whose asylum claims are likely to be approved. Despite this deal, the dangerous crossing continues to attract many migrants.
On Friday, an AFP team in the Gravelines area observed hundreds of migrants preparing to cross whenever weather conditions permitted. Earlier this week, reporters spoke with several migrants at a makeshift camp near Dunkirk, many of whom expressed that they had already endured significant hardships and faced considerable dangers to get so close to their goal. One migrant remarked that crossing the channel in a small boat “is uncertain — you might not survive,” but added, “That’s okay, we still have to try our luck.”
ChatGPT
Perplexity
Gemini AI
Grok AI
