A 19-year-old Syrian migrant died in an attempt to cross the English Channel from France to the UK. The young man was reported to have been crushed to death in a leaking dinghy.
The case of the Syrian migrant, reported dead on Saturday, marks the first reported death along the Channel so far in 2025.
The Syrian man was part of a group of several dozen migrants, according to the AFP news agency, who had attempted to embark on the dangerous crossing from France's northern shores late on January 10.
The Pas-de-Calais prefecture, which is in charge of monitoring, intercepting and saving migrants on boat journeys in the region, said the group got on a dinghy on the beach at Sangatte near Calais.
The prefecture added that just a few minutes into the crossing attempt, the dinghy sprang a leak, resulting in the group of roughly 60 migrants quickly disembarking from the small vessel.
The Syrian man was found on the floor of the boat hours later, the prefecture highlighted.
A helicopter and a boat had to be launched to rescue at least 15 of the migrants, according to media reports.
One teenager was taken to hospital, but was reported to be in a stable condition.
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'Crushed to death'
Officials said the man had "probably" been crushed to death, and added that an initial autopsy suggested he had suffered a cardiac arrest.
A forensic investigation will still be carried out to determine the exact cause of his death.
A 33-year-old Syrian-born man meanwhile was arrested and placed in police custody in connection with the incident, according to the public prosecutor for Boulogne-sur-Mer, Guirec Le Bras, who is in charge of bringing legal proceedings in the region.
A UK government spokesperson meanwhile confirmed the death, adding that "(t)his latest tragedy underlines the terrible dangers of small boat crossings, and we continue to do everything we can to prevent them."
"These criminals only care about profit, not the lives they put at risk, which is why they are cramming ever-greater numbers of people onto increasingly flimsy and dangerous boats."
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2024: record deaths in Channel
Last year, at least 77 people are known to have died trying to reach the UK from France in unseaworthy boats, according to French officials. Some groups, however, put the actual number of deaths in 2024 closer to 90.
2024 represents the deadliest year for migrants hoping to reach Britain this way, but also the year with the second-highest arrival numbers after 2022.
Almost 37,000 people crossed the Channel last year, marking a 25 percent increase from 2023.
Irregular migration was one of the issues discussed during a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer last Thursday (January 9), according to the Prime Minister's office.
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With AFP