French officials said the child fell from an overloaded dinghy that later continued its voyage toward the UK with around 50 people still on board. Prosecutor Cecile Gressier in Boulogne-sur-Mer confirmed the body was recovered on Écault beach. "An investigation has been opened to determine the circumstances of the death."
"The victim’s age and nationality have not been determined,” she said. Witnesses at the scene suggested the victim was likely a teenager.
Emergency services commander Jonathan Caruso said 48 migrants were pulled from the water after falling in, but the boat carried on toward England rather than turning back, reports the Daily Mail.
The incident came just one day after two Somali women were killed in a separate crossing attempt. Police said they either suffocated on the overcrowded vessel or drowned after it broke apart off the coast near Neufchâtel-Hardelot. Prosecutors have opened a wider criminal inquiry into the weekend deaths as they search for the smugglers behind the launches.
So far this year, at least 21 migrants have died trying to reach Britain in small boats. Earlier this month, three more—including children—lost their lives after being crushed at the bottom of another dinghy.
Calm weather over the weekend drew large groups of migrants to beaches in northern France, with riot police present but not intervening as preparations for crossings went ahead.
In Dover, UK, observers said six Border Force cutters brought in more than 600 migrants on Friday, most of them men.
Last year, 78 people died making the attempt—the highest toll since smugglers began using inflatable boats in 2018. Since January, more than 32,000 migrants have crossed, and government figures show over 50,000 have arrived since Labour took office in July 2024.
