FOUR people died on Thursday off the coast of northern France while trying to cross the Channel to England, taking the number of small boat deaths this year to six.
Two men and two women were swept away by the current as they tried to board a boat with dozens of others near the village of Equihen-Plage, regional official Francois-Xavier Lauch said.
One person was treated for hypothermia, he said. Authorities later said two children were taken to hospital. Lauch said the nationalities of those who died were not yet known.
France remains the main departure point for migrants trying to reach Britain, often using small and overcrowded boats.
Emergency services and rescuers gathered on the beach after the incident. People stood near a first aid post, many wrapped in thermal blankets and some wearing life jackets. One woman was seen carrying a baby.
Officials said the migrants were trying to board a so-called "taxi boat" — dinghies that move out to pick up migrants who wade into shallow waters.
The method is used to avoid security forces stopping boats from launching along the coast.
Prosecutor Cecile Gressier said the victims were adults. The boat had "continued on its way" with about 30 other people after the failed attempt by others to board it, she said.
She said the deaths showed that smugglers continue to "enrich themselves" by "exploiting the misery and distress" of migrants trying to reach Britain.
Calais mayor Natacha Bouchart said in a statement that mayors along the northern coast had been seeking more resources for months.
She said approaches to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez had brought no response.
"We demand a clear strategy," she said.
A UK government spokesperson said they would "continue working relentlessly with the French" to prevent these "perilous journeys".
"Every death in the Channel is a tragedy and a stark reminder of the dangers posed by criminal gangs exploiting vulnerable people for profit," the spokesperson added.
Two men, one Sudanese and one Afghan, died last week while attempting a similar crossing — the first reported deaths in the Channel this year.
At least 29 people died last year, according to an AFP tally based on official French and British data.
The handling of undocumented migrants remains a point of contention between Paris and London. The UK government is under pressure from anti-immigration groups to reduce arrivals.
France changed its approach at the end of last year to allow interception of taxi boats at sea under certain conditions.
Lauch said police did not intervene to stop the boat on Thursday.
Angele Vettorello of migrant aid group Utopia 56 said France was not deploying enough resources for rescue efforts.
"When we see that most deaths at the border occur within this 300-metre zone at sea, we have to question the rescue operation. Is it sufficient? Are there enough boats capable of operating in shallow waters?
"At the moment, it doesn't seem like it," she told AFP.
Nearly 50,000 people on 795 boats attempted the crossing last year, according to French official figures.
British authorities recorded 41,472 small boat arrivals in 2025, the second-highest total after 45,774 in 2022.
(With inputs from agencies)
