Two migrants died on Wednesday while attempting to cross the English Channel from northern France to Britain near Gravelines, according to French maritime authorities. French officials described the incident as the first reported deaths linked to Channel crossings in 2026.

According to the IOM's Missing Migrants page, two other migrants have been reported dead during Channel crossing attempts so far this year, but remains of one body was found in an inland canal, before they reached the sea, and the other died on a road, while attempting to board a vehicle.

Rescue services assisted eight people reported in distress as they attempted to board the boat, France's maritime prefecture for the Channel and North Sea stated. Around 30 people had gathered early that morning near Gravelines. Local reports noted many were standing in cold water up to their shoulders or slipping off the inflatable boat while it loaded more on board.

Police sources identified the deceased as one man from Sudan and one from Afghanistan. A woman received hospital treatment in Dunkirk for non-life-threatening injuries and five other individuals were detained. German outlets cited local news source La Voix du Nord as reporting a search for one additional person believed to be missing.

A Turkish national who was rescued after the fatal incident was arrested on suspicion of organizing the crossing attempt, according to a French police sources cited by AFP. French authorities also carried out several other rescue operations in the Channel that day, saving 111 additional people.

Read AlsoChannel crossings: More and more are taking to the sea from Belgium to reach England

Deaths on the Channel route

An AFP tally of French and British official sources recorded at least 29 deaths on the Channel route in 2025. That year, French figures show nearly 50,000 people attempted the crossing from France in 795 boats. UK authorities reported 41,472 small boat arrivals -- the second highest annual figure after 45,774 in 2022.

UK Home Office data released Wednesday (April 1), recorded 4,441 arrivals in the first three months of 2026 -- 33 percent fewer than the 6,642 in early 2025 and 18 percent below the 5,435 in early 2024. The 2026 figure exceeds early 2023 levels by 17 percent (3,793) but is two percent below early 2022 (4,548).

Authorities attribute part of the decline to unsettled weather conditions, including low temperatures, poor visibility, shorter daylight and storms. The number of people occupying a single boat has increased however, averaging 63 people per crossing from January to March -- compared to 56 in early 2025 and 62 for all of 2025.

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UK-France cooperation extended

The incident came a day after France and the UK agreed to extend their Channel migration deal by two months while negotiating a longer-term arrangement. Under the 2023 renewal of a 2018 accord, Britain committed about 545 million euros over three years to fund French surveillance and enforcement operations along the northern coast. The extension adds 16.2 million pounds to support approximately 700 French personnel.

So far, talks have centered on interception methods. UK officials want performance conditions tying funds to results and more aggressive sea interventions, with British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood citing French interception rates falling from 50 percent of attempts in 2023 to about one-third currently.

France emphasizes legal limits, noting officials cannot physically intervene in "taxi boat" transfers from shallow waters to offshore dinghies. Instead, operations focus on dismantling camps, confiscating equipment, and targeting smugglers on land.

French Sea Minister Xavier Ducept told lawmakers that making funds conditional on specific outcomes could create higher risks for migrants, personnel and operations, emphasizing a "rescue first" approach.

Since Brexit, the UK has relied on bilateral agreements like the Channel migration deal with France, lacking access to former EU mechanisms such as the Dublin regulation for returns. London seeks an 80 percent disruption rate to break smuggling networks, while Paris prioritizes prevention within legal limits on sea interventions. As some UK political figures continue to call for tougher measures.

Rights groups remain critical of the government's approach claiming that such deaths are preventable. Steve Smith, chief executive of refugee charity Care4Calais, told ITV that "this latest tragedy comes hours after the Home Secretary agreed an extension to their brutal border deal with France, is telling."

Describing the UK border as "a silent killer through political choice," and stating that if the UK government "wanted to save lives, and end Channel crossings, they would immediately introduce safe routes for refugees to claim asylum in the UK."

Read AlsoBritain's border deal with France extended for two months

Wider deaths at sea on Wednesday

Since the beginning of the year there has been a very high number of deaths at sea, especially on the Mediterranean routes due to bad weather and dangerous conditions. In addition to the Channel deaths, two other separate incidents occurred the same day in the Mediterranean Sea. Italy's coast guard located 19 bodies on a vessel 135 kilometers off Lampedusa in Libyan search-and-rescue waters. Seven survivors including two children received care for hypothermia and hydrocarbon exposure, while 58 others including five children arrived at Lampedusa amid waves reaching up to seven meters. Italian reports attribute the deaths to hypothermia amid wind, rain and 10-degree Celsius conditions.

In a second incident off Bodrum, in Turkey, authorities rescued 21 Afghan nationals including an infant from a sinking inflatable boat that fled patrol, that left a further 19 dead.

The International Organization for Migration has recorded 831 migrant deaths or missing persons in the Mediterranean since January.

Read AlsoTwo separate incidents in the Mediterranean Sea leave 38 migrants dead

With AFP and dpa