English Channel: Three migrants die in suspected boat stampede

English Channel migrant crossings taxi boat Pas-de-Calais smuggling networks

Three people, including a 10-year-old child and two women, died on Monday during an attempted English Channel crossing from France to the United Kingdom. French authorities reported that the incident involved a “taxi boat”—an inflatable dinghy used by smugglers to pick up migrants from beaches—which ran into trouble off the coast of Wissant in the Pas-de-Calais region.

Initial investigations suggest the deaths were caused by a stampede or crushing due to overcrowding rather than drowning, as the vessel remained afloat in calm seas. Of the 105 people on board, 102 were successfully rescued and taken to the port of Calais. The deceased are believed to be of Eritrean nationality.

This tragedy brings the death toll for attempted Channel crossings this year to at least 22. While Home Office data indicates that overall successful crossings have decreased by approximately 42% compared to the same period last year, the incident highlights the continued dangers of the route and the evolving tactics of smuggling networks, which are increasingly using longer and more remote departure points in Normandy to evade patrols.

Entities

Calais · English Channel · François-Xavier Lauch · Nigel Farage · Pas-de-Calais · Pas-de-Calais Prefecture · Reform UK · Shabana Mahmood · Wissant

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[DISPUTED] Three people died in the shipwreck. elnuevodiario.com.do · www.la-croix.com · www.independent.co.uk · www.ertnews.gr · www.newsit.gr · +12 more
[● 17 SOURCES] Maritime police received a distress call from an inflatable dinghy carrying 105 people. www.independent.co.uk · www.ertnews.gr · www.newsit.gr · antiguatribune.com · barbadosgazette.com · +12 more
[● 17 SOURCES] The deceased included two women and a 10-year-old child. www.independent.co.uk · www.ertnews.gr · www.newsit.gr · fjala.al · www.24ur.com · +12 more
[● 2 SOURCES] Approximately 18,609 people have successfully crossed the Channel so far this year. www.independent.co.uk · www.24ur.com
[● 17 SOURCES] A shipwreck involving a taxi boat occurred off the coast of Wissant. elnuevodiario.com.do · www.la-croix.com · www.ertnews.gr · www.newsit.gr · www.independent.co.uk · +12 more
[● 17 SOURCES] The number of deaths during attempted Channel crossings has reached 22 since the start of the year. www.la-croix.com · www.ertnews.gr · www.newsit.gr · www.independent.co.uk · www.24ur.com · +12 more