Eight dead after attempting to cross the Channel

According to French police, eight people died last night while attempting to cross the Channel from France to England.

Rescue services were called after the boat got into difficulty in waters north of Boulogne-sur-mer in the northern Pas-de-Calais region after 01:00 local time (00:00 BST).

The rubber boat was carrying about 50 people and began sinking shortly after leaving shore.

It is less than two weeks since 12 people, including six children and a pregnant woman, died when a boat carrying dozens of migrants sank, the deadliest loss of life in the Channel this year.

According to the French coast guard, the boat was seen heading towards a beach in the town of Ambleteuse, but rescue teams were unable to provide assistance from the sea.

On the beach, emergency services treated 53 people and confirmed eight had died, the coast guard said. No other people were found during searches at sea.

The Boulogne-sur-mer Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation.

A British government spokesman confirmed the latest incident and said French authorities were leading the response and investigation.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said it was “terrible” to hear of “more lives” lost in the Channel.

He told the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that many people were “of course not able to cross the Channel” because they had seen the types of dinghies being used.

He also reiterated the government’s plan to work with European partners to tackle criminal people-smuggling gangs and discourage people from crossing the border by boat.

Regional prefect Jacques Billant holds a press conference in the town of Ambleteuse.

There have been several attempts to cross the Channel over the past two days as the weather has calmed down.

According to French maritime authorities, 200 people were rescued in a 24-hour period on Friday and Saturday.

The French coast guard and other emergency services rescued people on board four different boats: one with 61 men, another with 55 men and two others with 48 and 36 men each.

During the day, eighteen crossing attempts were checked by authorities.

Including the latest eight victims, a total of 45 people have died in the Channel this year, the highest number since 2021, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration.

This year more than 21,000 people crossed the Channel.

Amnesty International UK called the latest incident “yet another appalling and avoidable tragedy”.

Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, said the deaths were not “inevitable” and a comprehensive approach was needed to reduce the number of crossings.

“Enforcement alone is not the solution,” he said, adding that better access to safe asylum routes is needed.