Two Women Die Among 100 Migrants Attempting English Channel Crossing Amid Rising Death Toll

Two women died early Saturday while attempting to cross the English Channel from France to the UK in a makeshift boat carrying about 100 migrants, with around 60 others rescued and a child with hypothermia hospitalized. The boat, which suffered engine failure and drifted before returning to the beach near Neufchâtel-Hardelot, led to the women's deaths by cardiac arrest despite rescue efforts. The incident highlights the continued dangers of the Channel route, where at least 25 people have died this year amid a record number of over 30,000 migrants reaching the UK, despite a recent Franco-British “one in, one out” asylum returns agreement. Authorities condemned people-smuggling networks for risking lives with unsafe vessels and emphasized ongoing law enforcement and rescue operations to combat these crossings. An investigation by Boulogne prosecutors is underway to determine the exact causes of the tragedy. The UK government faces mounting pressure to manage the surge in arrivals and asylum application backlogs as crossings persist despite new bilateral measures.