An emergency service helicopter at the beach in Gravelines, France, after people were pulled from the water. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PAView image in fullscreenAn emergency service helicopter at the beach in Gravelines, France, after people were pulled from the water. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PATwo dead and one missing after trying to cross Channel to UKFirst fatal incident this year occurred hours after £16.2m ‘stop the boats’ deal agreed between Britain and France
Two people have died and another is missing after trying to cross the Channel from France to the UK on Wednesday morning. It is the first fatal incident in the Channel this year.
The deaths occurred just hours after an interim £16.2m “stop the boats” deal was agreed between the UK and France which will be in place until May. Negotiations will continue for a longer-term deal to replace the previous three-year deal, which expired on Tuesday. According to reports, the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, is trying to secure a “payment by results” agreement to reduce small boat crossings.
At approximately 9:30am a dinghy was observed heading towards Gravelines, on the coast of northern France, where a group of about 30 people were waiting on the beach at Petit-Fort Philippe to board. It got into difficulty and the French rescue boat Ridens took on board eight people in distress, two of whom were pronounced dead. A third person was brought to Gravelines beach to receive urgent medical attention, while a French navy helicopter monitored the situation from the sky.
Last year at least 24 people died trying to cross the Channel, down from at least 73 in 2024.
Responding to the news, Steve Smith, the chief executive of Care4Calais, said safe routes for asylum seekers were needed to prevent further deaths in the Channel. “It is a tragedy that another two lives have been lost to our deadly border,” he said.
“That this comes hours after the home secretary agreed an extension to their brutal border deal with France is telling. Our border is a silent killer through political choice. The UK-French agreements on border security do not work as a deterrent, but they do kill.
“If the UK government wanted to save lives, and end Channel crossings, they would immediately introduce safe routes for refugees to claim asylum in the UK. That they choose not to do so is a clear political choice that has real-life consequences for those seeking sanctuary. It continues to be a stain on our political leaders.”
A 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 and investigation into this incident.”
Last year 41,472 people arrived in the UK by small boat, the second-highest number since crossings began, despite initiatives such as the “one in, one out” deal, whereby one person who arrives in the UK in a small boat is forcibly returned to France and in exchange an asylum seeker in northern France is brought legally to the UK. So far this year at least 4,441 people have arrived in the UK on small boats.
