At least three migrants died early Sunday trying to cross the English Channel from northern France into Britain, adding a grim new chapter to the ongoing migrant crisis.
The French coast guard said it responded at around 6 a.m. local time near Bleriot-Plage in the town of Sangatte, near the port of Calais in northern France.
About 50 migrants were rescued from the freezing waters, many suffering from severe hypothermia, the Coast Guard said. Four of them required intensive treatment, and authorities warned the death toll could rise. The three bodies pulled from the water could not be resuscitated.
This latest death comes less than a week after French authorities reported they had rescued more than 100 migrants attempting to cross the Channel on Christmas Day. At least 850 people arrived in Britain by small boat on December 25 and 26, according to Home Office figures.
“It will never stop,” Sanguet mayor Guy Allemand told Agence France-Presse. It crosses from one to the next without letting up.
The English Channel is just 34 miles wide at its narrowest point, but it is one of the most dangerous routes for migrants trying to reach Britain.
Dangerous conditions such as strong currents and crowded shipping lanes further increase the risk for people sailing in small boats.
Tighter immigration policies and tighter border controls have left many migrants fleeing war, poverty and persecution with little choice but to resort to human smuggling networks and unsafe transportation.
The Red Cross says there are a variety of reasons why so many asylum seekers seek Britain rather than other European countries. NGOs say many are seeking to return to their families in the UK or already speak some English.
At least 77 migrants have died or gone missing in the English Channel since January, making 2024 the deadliest year for this type of Channel crossing on record. Tens of thousands of migrants have arrived in Britain since January, with nearly 36,000 arriving by small boat.
The crisis increased tensions between Britain and France.
Both governments have stepped up patrols and surveillance, but critics say these measures do little to address the root causes of migration or stop deaths.
In November, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described human smugglers as a “global security threat akin to terrorism” and called for increased international cooperation.