Migrant dies attempting to cross the English Channel
18 April 2025, 13:06 | Updated: 18 April 2025, 13:41
A migrant has died trying to cross the English Channel just days after the highest number of arrivals in a single day this year was recorded.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The RNLI confirmed it had launched its all-weather lifeboat and a group of migrants were brought to Dover in a Border Force boat on Friday morning.
What appeared to be a blue forensics tent could be seen outside the Lifeboats station.
The number of people who made the crossing on Friday remains unknown.
In a statement, the RNLI said: “Dover RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat was tasked by HM Coastguard at 8.15am today (Friday 18 April) to an incident in the Channel.”
The death comes just days after more than 700 people crossed the Channel, making Tuesday the highest number of arrivals on a single day so far this year.
The Home Office believes around 705 people made the crossing in 12 boats.
Government ‘in talks on migrant removals agreement with France’
The number is still some way below the highest ever number for a single day, which was 1,305 on September 3 2022.
The figures confirmed earlier this week brought the cumulative number of arrivals in 2025 to a provisional total of 8,888.
This is 42% higher than at the same point last year, when the total stood at 6,265, and 81% higher than at this stage in 2023, when the total was 4,899.
More arrivals have been recorded in January to April 2025 than in the equivalent four-month period in any year since data on Channel crossings began in 2018.
The figures come as the Government has vowed to crack down on people-smuggling across the Channel.
