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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
World
RFI

First deaths in Channel of 2026 as France and UK weigh how to stop small boats

France United Kingdom Channel England
People picked up by a lifeboat while attempting to cross the Channel from France arrive at the port of Dover, England, on 1 April 2026. © Justin Tallis/AFP

Two men have died attempting to cross from northern France to southern England by boat, French authorities said on Thursday – the first known migrant deaths in the Channel this year. France and the UK remain divided over how to intercept people making the dangerous crossing without risking lives.

The men, one from Afghanistan and the other from Sudan, died on Wednesday while attempting to board an inflatable dinghy that was carrying around 30 people, authorities in northern France said.

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