A group of migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, by the RNLI Dover Lifeboat (Image: PA)
Three cross-Channel migrants were killed in icy water today when an overcrowded boat was stormed by a group of asylum seekers.
Chaos erupted at dawn on the Northern French Coast when 50 UK-bound refugees attempted to clamber on board a craft already loaded with 60 men, women and children.
Charity worker Flore Judet said: “A boat was supposed to set off with 60 people on board, but a group of 50 additional people tried to get on the boat.
“This created extreme panic, causing many to end up in the water.”
Many suffered hypothermia in the sea at Sangatte, near Calais, while others did not have life jackets and could not stay afloat.
Two unidentified migrants died soon after 6am, while a third body was hauled from the water at 10am.
None has yet been identified and it is not known whether they drowned, or were suffocated on the packed boat, but emergency workers fear the death toll could rise.
At least three were killed in a tragic small boat incident off the French coast (Image: PA)
The tragedy comes after four days in which 1,485 people made the perilous 25-miles crossing in what has been the busiest Christmas period since records began in 2018.
More than 36,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year, surpassing the 2023 total of 29,437.
The International Organisation for Migration, a UN agency tracking the number of people who die crossing the water, said 77 people have died attempting to make the journey this year.
Guy Allemand, the mayor of Sangatte, said: “It never stops. It’s crossing after crossing, without any let-up. There is no decrease in the numbers – it’s quite the opposite.”
People smugglers were seen around the area before the boat set off, and it is likely rival gangs tried to claim use of the same boat, a source suggested.
The stricken craft – a flimsy rubber dinghy – appeared to be designed for around 12 people maximum, said the individual.
French emergency services rushed to the scene and managed to get dozens of survivors to a nearby sailing training centre for treatment.
A spokesman for the Maritime Prefecture said: “Around 50 people were being treated on land following the major rescue operation.
“A Naval helicopter was involved in taking people ashore. Seven people have been rushed to hospital, while others were treated at the scene for hypothermia.”
UK Government figures show 305 people arrived via small boat last Friday alone, bringing the total for the week to 1,163.
The 407 arrivals on Boxing Day mean more than 150,000 people had made the crossing from France since records began on January 1, 2018.
Mr Farage said undocumented migrants pose a ‘national security emergency’ (Image: Getty Images)
The deadliest cross-Channel migrant tragedy came in November 2021, when 27 migrants died after a dinghy sank while heading to the UK – the highest recorded number of deaths from a single incident.
Prime Minister Sir and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to “strengthen cooperation” to fight the people smugglers.
The Home Office has said it will “stop at nothing” to dismantle people smuggling operations.
But despite the deaths, a number of other boats were seen to depart yesterday, the French coastguard said.
Before July’s General Election Reform UK leader described the unchecked crisis as a national security emergency.
He said: “The large numbers of undocumented young males that are coming into our country are seen as a problem, given the daily bill for hotels is over £7m. Actually, it is far more serious than that. Many of these young men, who throw their smartphoneS and passports into the English Channel once they reach 12-miles from British shores, come from countries that are still fighting wars. Over 90% are men and we have little or no idea of whether some of these men indeed fought Isis in Syria.
“As for Labour’s plan to stop the boats, going after the criminal gangs is something we’ve been doing towards the drugs trade for decades, yet it makes no difference. Starmer has no credibility in dealing with this issue.”
He added: “1,300 have crossed since Christmas Day and 150,000 in total since the beginning of this crisis. Only one political party will stop the boats.”