Channel Crossing: Migrant Dies, 72 Rescued As More Than 110 Attempt UK Journey

One migrant has died and 72 others have been rescued from a small boat attempting to cross the English Channel from France to the United Kingdom.

The boat, carrying more than 110 people, was being monitored by the French coastguard in the Gravelines area of northern France overnight from Thursday into Friday.

A rescue crew found one person on board requiring CPR and dispatched a helicopter, but the migrant was later pronounced dead. Three other people were injured, including one who required urgent medical attention.

The incident came a day after 494 migrants arrived in the UK, marking the first successful Channel crossings in 10 days. Seven boats made the crossing on Thursday, with the previous arrivals recorded on August 17.

Despite the latest arrivals, crossings remain lower overall this year. Press Association analysis of government data showed that 16,391 migrants had crossed the Channel so far in 2026, a 43 per cent decline from the same period last year.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government would not become complacent, pointing to increased enforcement on French beaches and overseas and new legislation aimed at tackling factors drawing people towards unsafe and illegal routes.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has also pledged to be “relentless” in tackling people-smuggling gangs, while arguing that safe routes should be developed to reduce the gangs’ appeal.