A migrant has died while attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat, officials have confirmed. The tragic incident comes just days after the UK saw a record number of crossings for 2025, with 705 people arriving by small boats on Tuesday.

Emergency services were called early Friday morning after a medical emergency was reported aboard a small boat in the Channel. The RNLI launched its all-weather lifeboat, and migrants were brought ashore by a UK Border Force vessel to Dover Lifeboat Station, where a blue forensics tent was later seen erected outside.

A spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said:

“HM Coastguard sent UK Border Force vessels, RNLI lifeboats and a search and rescue helicopter in response to small boat activity reported in the Channel on 18 April. People were recovered to the UK.”

Kent Police confirmed that officers were alerted at 8:26am by Border Force officials, who had responded to the emergency aboard the boat.

“A man has since been pronounced deceased,” a police spokesperson said.
“Officers have launched an investigation to establish the circumstances leading to the man’s death. The priority remains to establish the man’s identity in order to notify his family.”

Police remain at Dover Lifeboat Station as initial inquiries continue. The number of other individuals aboard the small boat has not yet been confirmed.

The death adds to growing concern around the safety of Channel crossings, which have seen a sharp rise in recent years. The perilous journey, often made in overcrowded and unseaworthy boats, has led to multiple fatalities.

Human rights groups have renewed calls for safer legal routes to be made available, warning that policies aimed at deterrence are forcing migrants to take increasingly dangerous risks.

More updates are expected as investigations continue.