Hundreds of migrants reached the UK in small boats on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, in what could be a record-breaking day of Channel crossings, while two others tragically lost their lives during the journey.
According to Border Forces sources, at least 800 migrants successfully made the treacherous 21-mile journey from France to England, pushing total arrivals for 2025 to over 13,000—the highest figure ever recorded by May since the crisis began.
Fatal Crossing Highlights Ongoing Tragedy
The latest deaths occurred during an overnight crossing involving around 80 people, according to French authorities. The vessel ran into difficulties in the English Channel, leading to two confirmed fatalities. The remaining occupants were rescued.
This marks the fifth migrant death in just ten days, underscoring the perilous nature of small boat crossings despite repeated government crackdowns and international cooperation.
Just days earlier, another migrant died in a separate incident, while 62 others had to be rescued after their vessel broke apart in rough seas.
Channel Deaths Surge in 2024–2025
According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), 82 people died attempting to cross the Channel in 2024—more than triple the number from the previous year. Shockingly, 14 of those victims were children, a steep rise from just one child fatality in 2023.
Human Smuggling Ringleader Jailed
The tragic developments come as a UK-based people smuggler was jailed for 25 years for helping organise a £12 million smuggling operation that moved nearly 3,800 people across the Mediterranean.
Ahmed Ebid, 42, was arrested in Isleworth, London in June 2023 following a joint investigation with the National Crime Agency (NCA). He worked with North African criminal networks to coordinate crossings, some of which saw migrants end up in Britain.
Ebid was heard on surveillance warning his accomplices:
“Tell them anyone caught with a phone will be killed, thrown in the sea.”
He was sentenced this week after being found to have played a “significant managerial role” in the conspiracy, the NCA said.
Ongoing Crisis in the Channel
Despite increased patrols, legal reforms, and bilateral agreements, the small boat crisis continues to escalate. Border Force has been overwhelmed on several occasions, as the warm weather and calmer seas in spring drive up attempted crossings.
This week’s figures are expected to place additional pressure on the Home Office, which is already under scrutiny for its Rwanda deportation scheme and the increasing backlog of asylum claims.
