French authorities have confirmed that two women lost their lives while attempting to cross the English Channel in the early hours of Friday morning.
The incident occurred off the coast of Neufchâtel-Hardelot, where around 100 people were packed onto a makeshift dinghy bound for the UK. According to officials, the boat launched at 3:15 am but drifted after its engine failed, forcing it back to shore an hour later.
Rescue teams were alerted when a child on board was reported to be suffering from hypothermia. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered two women in cardiac arrest. Despite resuscitation efforts, both were pronounced dead at 5:00 am. The child and their parents, also suffering from hypothermia, were taken to Boulogne hospital for treatment.
Authorities have opened an investigation under the Boulogne-sur-Mer public prosecutor to determine the full circumstances of the tragedy.
A spokesperson for the préfet of Pas de Calais condemned smuggling networks for their role, stating:
“Through greed and disregard for human life, smuggling networks are increasingly putting people, adults and children, at risk, selling them crossings aboard completely unsuitable vessels.”
Friday night marked a surge in attempted crossings following a break caused by poor weather earlier in the week. French police and gendarmes intercepted several other boats as smugglers resumed operations under calmer conditions.
This latest tragedy brings the death toll of Channel crossings to at least 25 in 2023, according to official figures. Meanwhile, more than 31,000 people have successfully reached Britain by small boats since January.
The incident comes amid the rollout of a new Franco-British agreement, which allows the UK to return migrants deemed ineligible for asylum—including those who traveled through a “safe country”—while Britain accepts an equal number of asylum seekers from France whose claims are more likely to be approved.
