Syrian migrant crushed to death attempting to cross the Channel in small boat

A Syrian migranyt has been crushed to death attempting to cross the English Channel by small boat, French authorities have said.

The man was pronounced dead at around 4.30am on Saturday, French media reported, adding that officials believe he suffered a cardiac arrest.

Two people have been arrested, and police are investigating the incident, AFP reported.

It comes after thirty-five migrants got into difficulty overnight on Friday, according to Reuters.

A UK Government spokesman said: “We can confirm there has been a tragic incident involving a small boat on the French coast which has resulted in the loss of one life. Our thoughts are with those affected.

“This latest tragedy underlines the terrible dangers of small boat crossings, and we continue to do everything we can to prevent them.

“These criminals only care about profit, not the lives they put at risk, which is why they are cramming ever-greater numbers of people on to increasingly flimsy and dangerous boats.”

According to the latest figures, the number of migrants in 2024 crossing the English Channel in small boats was up by a quarter on the previous year.

The statistics say 36,816 people made the journey in 2024, a jump of 25 per cent from the 29,437 who arrived in 2023, according to provisional figures from the Home Office. However, the total is down 20 per cent on the record 45,774 arrivals in 2022.

The Government has pledged to double down on its plans to “smash the gangs” and stop small boats crossing the Channel in order to curb immigration.

Labour scrapped the previous Tory government’s plan to send migrants, refugees and asylum seekers to Rwanda, instead opting for introducing a “world first” sanctions regime to target people smugglers.

Meanwhile, the new Border Security Command have received £150million to remove those with no legal right to be in the UK, and introduce new counter-terror style powers.

Under a three year bilateral agreement with France, the UK has also earmarked an additional £476m to protect its borders by using customs powers and intelligence capabilities to intercept people smugglers and small boat crossings.

Some MPs have criticised agreements between the UK and France for falling short of what they think is needed to address unauthorised border crossings.

Their alternative suggestions have included powers for French law enforcement to arrest and detain intercepted migrants. Other migrants’ rights advocates have accused the government of criminalising refugees and asylum seekers.

This story is being updated.