The local prefecture of Pas-de-Calais told the AFP news agency that the two bodies were both found on the beach in Berck, which is located about 50 kilometers south of the Boulogne-sur-Mer.

The two bodies were discovered about 300 meters away from each other on Sunday afternoon (February 9).

The prefecture added that the working theory was that the two migrants died while trying to swim to a migrant boat that was already in the water.

Meanwhile, a total of 230 people were rescued at sea on Sunday during a series of operations, according to information from French maritime authorities.

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Multiple rescues on one day

Among those rescued was a group of irregular migrants that reportedly had set off for the UK on Sunday morning. After their boat deflated at sea, authorities came and rescued 57 people from the frigid waters of the Channel with one person being found unconscious and two suffering from acute hypothermia. 

That rescue took place near the shore of Gravelines, located roughly halfway between the two major local migrant hubs of Calais and Dunkirk. The Daily Express newspaper said that there were four women and a toddler among the survivors.

Later that day, a boat carrying 38 people issued a distress call resulting in another rescue mission near Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Another 19 people were later pulled off from another boat, which despite the rescue apparently continued going with "dozens" more passengers on board.

In yet another unrelated rescue near Dunkirk, 42 passengers were saved, including two who were airlifted by helicopter to hospital.

Later in the evening, a patrol boat rescued another 33 people who became stuck at sea during their attempt to cross the English Channel.

At this point, it is unclear if the two bodies discovered on the shores of Merck are linked directly to any of these incidents.

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Crossing attempts continue to soar

Attempts to cross the Channel continue despite the freezing temperatures in the middle of winter, which compares as somewhat atypical to previous years.

2024 was a record year for deaths in the Channel, which is also one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, with at least 76 people reported to have died while trying to reach British shores, according to official figures. A total of nearly 37,000 people meanwhile succeeded in crossing the Channel and reaching Britain.

Meanwhile, nearly 1,500 people have crossed the Channel from France to the UK so far this year. The Daily Mail newspaper said that this number is up from 1,382 crossings made during the same period in 2024.

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Amid such high volumes of crossings -- and deaths --, bodies of deceased migrants continue to wash up on the shores of northern France.

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said earlier that the French "government will intensify the fight against these mafias who are getting rich by organizing these crossings of death" amid calls for the governments of both the UK and France to explore further ways to stop people from dying in the English Channel.

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Roughly 100,000 asylum cases in the UK yearly

Among those trying to reach Britain, Afghans were the single largest group with nearly 5,000 arrivals in 2024, followed by Iranians and Syrians, with almost 4,000 and also 3,400 arrivals respectively.

A high number of Vietnamese citizens are also among those keen to come to the UK, with just over 3,300 arrivals in 2024.

For the past few years, the total number of asylum applicants in the UK, including those arriving irregularly on boats, has been around 100,000 cases annually, according to the Home Office. 

Almost 10 percent of all applications were lodged by individuals from Pakistan, followed by Afghans, Iranians, Bangladeshis and Syrians.

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with AFP