Migrant dinghy sinks in English Channel off France, 4 people die

Four people died off France's northern coast trying to cross the English Channel in a small boat early on Thursday morning. The dangerous boat crossings trying to reach the UK tend to reduce in frequency during the harshest winter months, when the seas are dangerously rough and cold. But as the temperatures slowly start to increase, the journeys are likely to become more frequent, with a total of six people having died so far in 2026. What do we know about the incident? Authorities said they died after being swept away by strong currents having tried to board a dinghy. At least 42 others were rescued in the incident between Equihen-Plage and Hardelot-Plage off the coast of Boulogne. "We sadly have to report four deaths this morning," Francois-Xavier Lauch, the prefect of the Pas-de-Calais region, told reporters on Thursday. "The people who died were attempting to board a taxi-boat." The migrant dinghies often sail along the northern coast of France and sometimes Belgium, picking up travelers at various points along the way. As a result, French authorities often refer to the vessels as "taxi-boats." Boats move along the coastline, picking up migrants as they goImage: Gareth Fuller/empics/picture alliance "They were already quite far into the sea," Lauch said of the people who died. "The currents, which can be dangerous here, swept them away." He said that the death toll remained provisional. One other person was suffering from hypothermia, he said, and another 37 were currently being treated by emergency services. Lauch said that a number of small boats were currently at sea and being monitored by French authorities, including a military helicopter. "The responsibility lies with the smugglers," he told reporters. UK condemns 'criminal gangs exploiting vulnerable people for profit' "We are deeply saddened to hear about the deaths in French waters today," a UK government spokesperson in response to the reports. "Every death in the Channel is a tragedy and a stark reminder of the dangers posed by criminal gangs exploiting vulnerable people for profit," they said. "We will continue working relentlessly with the French and our partners overseas to prevent these perilous journeys." Two other migrants died on April 1, while six more were rescued off Gravelines near the major French port of Calais. According to the latest Home Office or interior ministry figures, nearly 5,000 people have arrived in the UK without permission via small boats this year, more than 450 of them in the first few days of April across seven boats. In 2025, more than 40,000 people are known to have made the crossing. The UK government has logged around 5,000 people landing on its shores in small boats so far in 2026Image: Gareth Fuller/empics/picture alliance Last month, the UK and France failed to agree on a new beach patrol deal aimed at reducing the number of departures, instead extending the current arrangments as the governments try to hash out a longer term plan. The topic is often politicized in the UK, particularly by right-wing populist Reform leader Nigel Farage. French police will try to stop people boarding the dinghies, but for safety reasons they tend to only monitor the vessels at sea and attempt rescue operations when necessaryImage: Gareth Fuller/empics/picture alliance Europol busts Vietnamese ring looking to smuggle people to UK via EU Also on Thursday, the European policing agency Europol announced a cross-border bust of a Vietnamese smuggling ring trying to ferry people to the UK via the EU. Europol said migrants entered the EU's open border Schengen Area using Hungarian-issued short-stay visas or residence permits, before traveling on to France by air. Once there, they were placed in accommodations in the Paris region, then transported to the coastline and across the Channel on small boats. "The final crossing to the UK was organized by a connected Kurdish-Iraqi migrant smuggling network active in the North of France," Europol said. It reported eight arrests, six in France, one in Germany and one in Hungary. One suspected network leader was arrested in Germany on a European arrest warrant. Europol said it seized around 20 passports, three vehicles, electronic devices and around €10,000 (roughly $11,600) in cash. It estimated criminal profits of "up to €3 million" for the group, saying it transported at least 15 migrants per month, charing them €22,000 for the full journey. That is the equivalent of several years' salary for an average earner in Vietnam. Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher