Four people drowned early Thursday off France’s northern coast after they were swept away while trying to board a dinghy bound for the UK. The incident occurred between Équihen-Plage and Hardelot-Plage, off Boulogne. At least 42 other people were rescued from the water.
Pas-de-Calais prefect Francois‑Xavier Lauch said the victims had been attempting to board a so-called taxi-boat — small craft used by people-smugglers to pick up travelers along the northern French and Belgian coasts — and were already some distance offshore when strong currents swept them away. Authorities described the death toll as provisional. One person was treated for hypothermia and 37 others received medical attention. French forces, including a military helicopter, monitored several small vessels during the operation. Local officials blamed the smugglers for the tragedy.
A UK government spokesperson expressed deep sadness and called each Channel death a reminder of the dangers posed by criminal gangs that exploit vulnerable people. The UK said it will continue to work with France and other partners to try to prevent such perilous crossings.
The latest sinking follows earlier incidents this month: two migrants died on April 1 and six people were rescued off Gravelines near Calais. According to Home Office and French interior ministry figures, nearly 5,000 people have reached the UK without permission via small boats so far in 2026, with more than 450 arrivals in the first days of April across seven boats. In 2025, more than 40,000 people are known to have made the crossing. Negotiations over a new UK–France beach patrol agreement recently stalled; existing arrangements were extended while talks continue. Cross-Channel crossings remain a highly politicized issue in the UK.
Separately on Thursday, Europol announced the dismantling of a cross-border Vietnamese smuggling ring that organized travel into the EU and onward to Britain. Investigators say migrants entered the Schengen Area using Hungarian short-stay visas or residence permits, flew to France, were accommodated in the Paris region, then transported to the northern French coast for Channel crossings. Europol reported that the final sea legs were arranged by a connected Kurdish-Iraqi network operating in northern France.
Authorities made eight arrests — six in France, one in Germany and one in Hungary — and detained a suspected ringleader in Germany on a European arrest warrant. Seized items included about 20 passports, three vehicles, electronic devices and roughly €10,000 in cash. Europol estimated the group’s profits could reach about €3 million, saying the network moved at least 15 migrants per month and charged approximately €22,000 for the full journey, an amount equivalent to several years’ wages for many in Vietnam.
French and British officials said investigations and cross-border cooperation will continue as they seek to curb smuggling networks and reduce the risk of further deadly Channel crossings.