Small boat carrying record 125 people crosses Channel

A small boat crossed the Channel on Saturday carrying 125 people, the largest ever number to make the journey in a single vessel.

The crossing surpasses a record set in August when 106 people attempted the journey in one boat.

Figures from the Home Office show 895 migrants crossed the Channel in 12 boats on Saturday, while around 33,000 people have done so since the start of 2025.

It comes after another migrant died trying to cross the Channel, with a body found on Sunday morning on a beach near Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France, according to the AFP news agency.

The age and nationality of the person are not yet known, with French media reporting they were a young adult.

An investigation will determine whether there is a link between the latest death and and an attempted crossing near Equihen-Plage, a little further north from Boulogne-sur-Mer, the port town’s prosecutor Cécile Gressier told AFP.

There a 49-year-old woman was found suffering from hypothermia and was taken to hospital.

Two Somali women also died when their makeshift boat got into difficulty on Saturday, with the number of deaths from illegal crossing attempts between France and the UK this year now at least 27.

On Saturday, among the many attempted crossings on makeshift boats thanks to favourable weather, 14 required emergency services, the Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and North Sea (Prémar) said in a press release.

Despite the steady increase in French resources to prevent perilous crossings – with substantial financial support from the UK – there are no signs the attempts are slowing down.

The UK government has come under increased pressure over the number of small boat crossings and asylum seeker applications, with more than 50,000 people making the journey since Labour came to power in July 2024.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said people-smugglers are “wreaking havoc on our borders” and vowed to “restore order to our immigration system”.