PARIS (AP) — Four migrants have died while trying to cross the Channel from France to the United Kingdom, French authorities said Friday.
They died after their inflatable boat capsized off the coast of Boulogne-sur-Mer, in northern France. Sixty-three people were rescued by the French coastguard, the prefecture responsible for northern France said in a statement.
A French navy patrol boat was said to have spotted the overcrowded vessel as it emptied off the northern French coast on Friday morning. Several people were in the water, the statement said.
Migrants trying to reach the UK risk drowning as they attempt to cross the border the busy English Channeloften on board overcrowded boats.
An estimated 30,000 people the crossing made in 2023, according to UK government figures.