Two young women, believed to be of Sudanese origin and both around 20 years old, died on Sunday after a small boat carrying 82 migrants attempting to cross the English Channel ran aground on a beach near Neufchâtel-Hardelot, a coastal village roughly 12 kilometres south of Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France. Sixteen others were injured, including three with serious burns, in what marks the third such fatal incident in the region in just over a month.
The vessel set out overnight from Saturday to Sunday, but the engine failed shortly after departure and the boat began to drift. French authorities said 17 people were rescued at sea and brought to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, while the remaining 65 passengers stayed aboard until the boat grounded on the beach. The two victims were found dead inside the vessel. Thirteen people sustained moderate injuries and three others — including those with burns — were taken to hospital with serious wounds. Christophe Marx, secretary-general of the Pas-de-Calais prefecture, said those hospitalised would be interviewed by border police to help determine who organised the crossing, and that an investigation was under way to formally confirm the victims' nationalities.
The tragedy is the third of its kind since the start of April. Two migrants died off the coast of Gravelines on April 1st, and four more — two men and two women — were swept away by currents and killed on April 9th. French and British officials count at least 29 migrant deaths in the Channel so far in 2025, according to an AFP tally.
The incident comes shortly after the United Kingdom and France signed a new three-year bilateral security deal aimed at reducing the number of small-boat crossings. Under the agreement, France will deploy additional police and gendarmerie officers to patrol the coastline, while Britain will increase its financial contribution to those efforts. French officials have said the number of migrants reaching Britain so far this year has fallen significantly compared with the same period last year.
The English Channel, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, has become a primary route for migrants and asylum seekers hoping to reach the UK from northern France, a journey that is both legally restricted and extremely dangerous in small, often overcrowded inflatable boats. Sunday's deaths underscore how enforcement measures alone have so far failed to eliminate the deadly risks facing those who attempt the crossing.