Woman dies trying to cross English Channel in small migrant boat
A female migrant died while trying to cross the English Channel in a small boat on Saturday.
The Home Office said the woman was found unresponsive after Border Force officers stopped the boat entering British waters.
It comes after hundreds of migrants arrived in Dover this week; About 710 people arrived on 11 boats on Monday; Average 65 people per boat. 392 people arrived on six boats on Thursday.
Kent police officers were called to Western Docks, Dover, along with other emergency services, at 3.11pm on Saturday afternoon and the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said they were conducting an initial investigation following his death.
A UK government spokesman said: “This afternoon Border Security Command Maritime responded to a small boat entering UK waters. When this boat was attended to, a migrant was found unresponsive.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that despite medical assistance, they have died. Our thoughts are with everyone affected.
“This latest tragedy underlines the terrible dangers of small boat journeys. We continue to work tirelessly with the French and our partners to prevent these dangerous journeys.”
Two women, aged around 20 and believed to be Sudanese, died while trying to cross the English Channel from France in May.
French officials said that the boat carrying 82 people ran aground on a beach in northern France. Christophe Marx, secretary general of the province of Pas-de-Calais, said at the time that the women were found dead on the boat.
In April, two more people lost their lives when a boat got into trouble off the northern coast of France. At least 29 people died or went missing trying to make this dangerous journey last year; In 2024, this number was 83.
Under the new agreement signed between England and France, riot-trained police will be sent to the French coast to prevent immigrants from embarking on this journey.
Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood signed the three-year deal worth £662m in April; The deal funded millions of pounds worth of drones, two helicopters and a camera system to intercept people smugglers and migrants.
More than 10,000 people traveled across the Channel on a small boat this year, compared to the same period last year.
Ten migrants have gone missing on the journey from mainland Europe to the UK so far in 2026, according to the International Organization for Migration’s tally.
