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A group of migrants on an inflatable boat departs from northern France’s coast, attempting to cross the English Channel to reach the UK, departing from Petit-Fort-Philippe in Gravelines near Calais, on August 25, 2025. —Reuters
French authorities reported that two Somali women lost their lives Saturday while trying to cross the Channel, and a third migrant’s body was discovered in a canal.
Approximately 60 other migrants were rescued during this incident, which involved about 100 individuals boarding a makeshift boat south of Neufchatel-Hardelot beaches around 3:15 a.m. (0115 GMT), aiming for Britain.
Their overloaded vessel was forced back to shore after its engine failed to operate, according to a statement from the local prefecture.
Civil protection teams cared for 60 individuals, while others onboard fled when rescue crews arrived, stated Isabelle Fradin-Thirode, an official based in nearby Montreuil-sur-Mer.
A family—a couple and their child—suffering from moderate hypothermia was transported to a hospital in Boulogne.
The body, believed to be a man in his late 20s or early 30s, was recovered from a canal in Gravelines, near Dunkirk, confirmed by the prefecture and AFP journalists on site.
These latest tragedies bring the total number of Channel crossing deaths this year to at least 26, based on official data compiled by AFP.
Since the start of the year, a record 32,000 migrants have arrived in Britain after crossing the Channel in small boats.
### Franco-British Agreement
A recent Franco-British agreement allows the UK to deport migrants back to France if they are considered ineligible for asylum, including those who have traveled through a “safe country” en route to UK shores.
In exchange, London commits to accepting an equal number of migrants from France who are likely to have their asylum claims approved.
Despite this arrangement, it appears to haven’t deterred migrants from risking the dangerous crossing.
On Friday, AFP reporters in the Gravelines area observed hundreds of migrants preparing to cross whenever weather conditions allowed, gathering along different parts of the beach.
Earlier this week, journalists spoke with several migrants at a makeshift camp in Loon-Plage near Dunkirk. Many expressed they’ve endured significant hardships and acknowledge the dangers ahead, with some saying, “Crossing the channel in a small boat, you’re not sure if you’ll make it.”
One migrant added, “But it’s worth trying our luck.”
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