Two women die and three others critical after trying to cross Channel in small boat
Two women have died and three others are critically ill after trying to cross the English Channel in a small boat from France.
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The boat had been carrying around 82 people, according to a local official, and had reportedly set off overnight on Saturday.
The women are said to have been in their 20s and from Sudanese origin. They were found dead inside the carrier after "engine failed to start".
Secretary-general of the Pas-de-Calais prefecture, Christophe Marx said that the investigation and interviews that will take place will help determine the nationality of the women.
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Mr Marx said the boat set off overnight into Sunday from Hardelot beach but the boat began to drift after engine failure.
Around 17 of the people onboard are believed to have been rescued at sea and taken to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, south of Calais.
It comes after over 100 migrants were rescued from the Channel last Sunday after the dinghy they were travelling in broke down.
French authorities said they were transferred to a rescue ship before being taken to Calais.
Reacting to the deaths, Refugee Council’s Imran Hussain said: "We know that it is desperation that drives refugees fleeing devastating war and brutal regimes into small boats, which is why the lack of safe and legal routes to the UK is a problem that needs fixing.
"The Government has said Sudan is the greatest humanitarian crisis facing the world, but a Sudanese refugee has no safe route to the UK, even if it is to join up with their family."
Earlier this year it was revealed that a total of 41,472 migrants arrived in the UK in 2025 after crossing the Channel, the second-highest annual figure on record.
Last week, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood signed a new UK-France migrant deal in Dunkirk last week, with plans to remove hundreds of migrants from beaches every year.
The new £662m agreement will see French police officers "targeting and detaining" people on the country's coast, says the Home Office.