Four people were killed and at least 42 others were rescued after a small boat carrying asylum seekers attempting to get to England went down off the coast of northern France near Boulogne. File photo by Tolga Akmen/EPA-EFE
Four people were killed and at least 42 others were rescued on Thursday after a small boat carrying asylum seekers attempting to get to England went down off the coast of the Pas-de-Calais area in northern France, authorities in France said.
The two men and two women died after being carried away by strong currents as they attempted to climb aboard a migrant “taxi-boat” to make the crossing, said Pas-de-Calais prefect Francois-Xavier Lauch.
“They were already quite far into the sea. The currents, which can be dangerous here, swept them away. This provisional toll — and I insist that it is provisional — states four deceased: two men, two women.”
Lauch said the vessel plied the coasts of northern France and Belgium, collecting migrants and asylum seekers waiting on beaches to make the journey to England.
The incident occurred just south of Boulogne, between Equihen-Plage and Hardelot-Plage with the vessel, a rubber dinghy, continuing on its journey to England with about 30 people aboard.
More than 100 people were pulled from the Channel on Wednesday after their vessel got into difficulties and two people were killed on April 1, the first since the beginning of the year.
Refugee advocacy groups criticized the British government, accusing it of forcing people fleeing war and persecution in places such as Sudan and Afghanistan to risk their lives crossing treacherous waters in small boats by cutting off any safe means for them to get Britain to claim asylum.
“A lack of safe routes to the U.K. has left people feeling they have no other choice to rebuild their lives,” said Refugee Council external affairs director Imran Hussain.
“Policing the Channel alone is not enough to prevent dangerous crossings. The government should work closely with our European neighbours to share responsibility and create more safe pathways for people to come to the U.K. without taking dangerous journeys,” added Hussain.
A spokesman for the British government expressed regret over the loss of life but said responsibility ultimately lay with people-smuggling syndicates that charged migrants thousands of dollars for passages on unseaworthy boats.
“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,” said the spokesman, adding that Britain was supporting an investigation into the incident launched by French authorities.
The BBC said the tax-boats were a new tactic used by smugglers where migrants stand by in the water awaiting pick-up — aimed at evading the patrols which operate on the beach and do not enter the sea for safety reasons.
The latest fatalities came as Britain and France were working on a new agreement aimed at stopping the small boats after Britain handed over almost $22 million last week to temporarily extend a 2023 deal under which French police patrol beaches to thwart crossing attempts.
French media have reported that a plan pitched by Britain for its border force vessels to be allowed to enter French waters to intercept and return small boats had been rejected by the French government.
The number of people making the crossing between Jan. 1 and April 7 was 4,903, almost 1,900 fewer than in the same period in 2025.
The figure for the whole of 2025 was 41,472. The number who died in the attempt was 22.
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Children race to push colored eggs across the grass during the annual Easter Egg Roll event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on April 21, 2025. Easter this year takes place on April 5. Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo
