A migrant has died while attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat, officials have confirmed. The tragic incident comes just days after the UK saw a record number of crossings for 2025, with 705 people arriving by small boats on Tuesday.
Emergency services were called early Friday morning after a medical emergency was reported aboard a small boat in the Channel. The RNLI launched its all-weather lifeboat, and migrants were brought ashore by a UK Border Force vessel to Dover Lifeboat Station, where a blue forensics tent was later seen erected outside.
Human rights groups have renewed calls for safer legal routes to be made available, warning that policies aimed at deterrence are forcing migrants to take increasingly dangerous risks.
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More updates are expected as investigations continue.
