Five people have died in an attempt to cross the Channel near the town of Wimereux, south of Calais, French police have said.
A spokesperson for France’s national police told Reuters that five asylum seekers had died, while the French coastguard confirmed there was a failed attempt to cross the Channel on Tuesday morning by a small boat containing more than 100 people.
The BBC reported that a child was among the five dead.
According to the newspaper La Voix du Nord, helicopters and rescue boats were mobilised for ongoing searches.
The incident comes the morning after Rishi Sunak’s UK government passed legislation to allow it to deport asylum seekers who arrive in the UK on small boats to Rwanda.
Following the reports of deaths in the Channel, the UK home secretary, James Cleverly, said on X: “These tragedies have to stop. I will not accept a status quo which costs so many lives. This government is doing everything we can to end this trade, stop the boats and ultimately break the business model of the evil people smuggling gangs, so they no longer put lives at risk.”
More than 6,000 migrants and refugees have already made the journey so far this year – a rise of about a quarter on the same period last year.
Matthew Rycroft, the most senior civil servant in the Home Office who has overseen the Rwanda scheme for two years, previously told MPs he did not have evidence to show it would have a deterrent effect that would make it value for money.
The deal will cost £1.8m for each of the first 300 deportees, the National Audit Office has confirmed.
The UK’s illegal migration minister, Michael Tomlinson, said there had been deaths in the Channel now for nine consecutive months. Asked about the reports on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, he said: “It is absolutely chilling to hear that.”
The Channel between France and Britain is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and currents are strong, making the crossing on small boats dangerous. People smugglers typically overload rickety dinghies, often leaving them barely afloat as they try to reach British shores.
The Refugee Council organisation in the UK described the deaths as “devastating” and “all the more tragic” coming just hours after the Rwanda bill was passed.
Enver Solomon, the council’s chief executive, said: “It is shocking to learn of the terrible loss of yet more lives in the Channel this morning. Our thoughts go out to the families and loved ones of those affected. This is another devastating human tragedy that could and should have been avoided – and for it to happen just hours after the government’s Rwanda bill became law makes it all the more tragic.
“The only sustainable way to reduce dangerous journeys … is for the government to reduce the need for desperate people to take desperate actions. Instead of hostile, headline-grabbing legislation, we need to see safe routes for those fleeing conflict and persecution, including more options for family reunion, refugee visas, and cooperation with our European neighbours.”