One dead after small migrant boat sinks in French waters, authorities say

One person has died after a small, overloaded boat sank while attempting to cross the English Channel overnight, Sunday, May 18, 2025, according to French authorities.

The Maritime Prefect of the Channel and the North Sea confirmed the incident.

He stated that a total of 62 individuals were rescued from the water following the vessel’s disintegration.

The French rescue tug, Abeille Normandie, played a key role in the operation, recovering 50 people from the water.

Media reports reveal that the UK’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) rescued two more individuals, while the UK Border Force vessel, Ranger, recovered another nine.

All rescued individuals were eventually transferred onto the Abeille Normandie for further care and assessment.

During the search and rescue operation, a French Navy helicopter identified an unconscious individual in the water.

The person was retrieved by RNLI crews but was later pronounced dead by the medical personnel aboard the Abeille Normandie.

Among the survivors were a child and his mother, both of whom were suffering from hypothermia.

Due to their condition, they were airlifted to a hospital in Boulogne-sur-Mer for urgent medical treatment.

The remainder of the survivors were brought to the quay in Boulogne-sur-Mer, where land-based rescue services took over their care and support.

The French coastguard reiterated the grave risks involved in attempting to cross the Channel.

It emphasized that the waterway is among the busiest maritime routes in the world, with over 600 commercial vessels navigating through it daily.

This tragic incident adds to a growing toll in 2025, with more than 10 deaths already recorded this year involving people attempting to make the treacherous crossing.

The situation follows what is believed to have been a record-setting and deadly year in 2024 for Channel crossings.

Data from the UK Home Office indicates that over 10,000 individuals attempted the crossing between January 1 and April 28, 2025.

This figure represents a 40% increase compared to the same timeframe in 2024.

In response, the UK government has introduced measures aimed at curbing such crossings, with a primary focus on targeting and dismantling people-smuggling operations.

A Home Office spokesperson emphasized the government’s commitment to stopping the dangerous crossings.

“We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security,” the spokesperson stated.

They added that people-smuggling gangs exploit vulnerable individuals without regard for their safety, only caring about the money.

They vowed that authorities would pursue every possible measure to destroy their networks and bring perpetrators to justice.

However, human rights organizations and political figures have long argued that enforcement measures alone are not sufficient.

They stress that without establishing viable and safe legal pathways for people to seek asylum in the UK, the dangerous crossings will continue.

Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party, echoed these concerns last week.

She pointed out that many of those attempting the perilous journey would not resort to criminal gangs if they had access to regular, safe means of travel to claim asylum.

Denyer highlighted the UK’s prior creation of safe entry routes for Ukrainian refugees as an example of what is possible.

She further urged the government to extend similar avenues to others fleeing dangerous situations.

The charity Care4Calais also criticized the current approach.

It accused the UK government of criminalizing asylum seekers while failing to offer them legitimate alternatives.

The organization stated that by refusing to provide safe legal routes, the government leaves desperate people no choice but to use the only available options.

These options, according to media reports, often the most dangerous ones, while simultaneously punishing them for doing so.

This latest tragedy has supposedly intensified calls for a more humane and comprehensive approach to migration and asylum.

Observers call for an approach that addresses both the root causes and the realities facing those fleeing conflict, persecution, or instability.

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