Four people have died after a small boat carrying migrants attempting to cross the Channel capsized off the coast of France, French local authorities have said.
Around thirty migrants are reportedly being cared for by emergency services in Équihen-Plage, with two men and two women among those dead. Officials in Calais said that the dinghy was a “taxi-boat”, a type of small boat used along the northern French and Belgian coastlines to pick up migrants from just off shore.
Officials in Calais said in a statement issued to Reuters: “A taxi-boat sinking occurred today. The situation is still being assessed and remains subject to change.”
About 2,200 migrants crossed the Channel, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, to Britain in the first two months of 2026. Around 41,500 people made the crossing in 2025, according to the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory.
The deaths come as the UK and France continue negotiations over a renewed multimillion-pound deal to fund French police action against small boat migrants.
The French government has rejected a proposal from home secretary Shabana Mahmood to deploy British Border Force vessels to intercept small boats in French waters and return migrants to France.
.jpeg)
French negotiators have rebuffed the plan because it would mean British government vessels entering French waters.
The Independent revealed last month that the number of migrants who died while attempting to cross the Channel spiked after the last major UK-France deal was signed.
Seventeen people died or went missing in six fatal incidents in the final four months of 2023 – shortly after then-prime minister Rishi Sunak agreed a £460m pact with French president Emmanuel Macron to stop small boat migration.
The following year, 83 people were recorded dead or missing in 22 incidents – the deadliest year on record, figures compiled by Centre for Sociodigital Futures at the University of Bristol and Swiss research agency Border Forensics show. Another 29 died or went missing in 20 fatal incidents in 2025, researchers say.
The figures, from 2019 to 2025, suggest that more people making journeys on small boats across the Channel does not lead to more deaths.
The deaths that have occurred since 2023 have happened close to French shores and often just off the beaches.
A UK government spokesperson said: “We are deeply saddened to hear about the deaths in French waters today.
“Every death in the Channel is a tragedy and a stark reminder of the dangers posed by criminal gangs exploiting vulnerable people for profit. We will continue working relentlessly with the French and our partners overseas to prevent these perilous journeys.
“The French authorities are leading the response to this incident and we are supporting their investigation.”
About the Author
