A teenager died in a Channel crossing attempt, raising 2025’s migrant death toll to at least 20.

A child, believed to be a teenager, died during a Channel crossing attempt off northern France near Saint-Etienne-au-Mont on Sunday morning, prompting an investigation. Forty-eight migrants were rescued and treated, and the boat continued toward the UK. This follows the deaths of two women, reportedly from Somalia, in a separate crossing the previous night involving about 100 migrants, with around 60 rescued and a family hospitalized with hypothermia. At least 20 migrant deaths have been recorded in Channel crossings so far in 2025, and arrivals to the UK by small boat have reached a record high for this time of year, surpassing 32,000 since 2018. Last year was the deadliest on record with 50 deaths, and additional fatalities have been reported in 2024 and 2025. The UK Home Office has not yet released figures for recent crossings.