Migrant dies after medical emergency on small boat in English Channel

The death comes after more than 700 migrants crossed the English Channel on Tuesday.

Stretcher of equipment is wheeled through the Border Force compound as a group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, from a Border Force vessel (Gareth Fuller/PA)

A migrant has died after a medical emergency on a small boat in the English Channel.

The RNLI confirmed it had launched its all-weather lifeboat and a group of migrants were brought to Dover in a Border Force boat on Friday morning.

What appeared to be a blue forensics tent could be seen outside the Lifeboats station.

A tent outside the Lifeboats station in Dover, Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA)

It is not known at this stage exactly how many migrants arrived on Friday.

Kent Police said: “Kent Police was called at 8.26am on Friday 18 April 2025 after a Border Force patrol responded to a medical emergency on a small boat in the English Channel. A man has since been pronounced deceased.

“Officers have launched an investigation to establish the circumstances leading to the man’s death.

“The priority remains to establish the man’s identity in order to notify his family.

“Officers are currently at Dover Lifeboat Station while initial inquiries are under way.”

A UK Government spokesperson said: “This morning, Border Force responded to a medical emergency on board a small boat entering UK waters.

“It is with regret that we can confirm one individual has died, and our thoughts are with them and their loved ones.

“Investigations are ongoing and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time, but we want to thank those who responded to this incident and who continue to work tirelessly to secure our borders and protect lives at sea.”

A stretcher is carried towards the Lifeboats station in Dover, Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA)

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesperson said HM Coastguard sent UK Border Force vessels, RNLI lifeboats and an HM Coastguard search-and-rescue helicopter “in response to small boats activity” reported in the Channel.

“People were recovered to the UK,” the spokesperson added.

The death comes after more than 700 migrants crossed the English Channel on Tuesday in the highest number of arrivals on a single day so far this year.

Home Office provisional figures suggest 705 people made the journey in 12 boats.

Last Saturday, 656 people made the crossing in 11 boats, which at the time was the highest daily number for the year.

Tuesday’s total of 705 is still some way below the highest ever number for a single day, which was 1,305 on September 3 2022.

The figures confirmed earlier this week brought the cumulative number of arrivals in 2025 to a provisional total of 8,888.

This is 42% higher than at the same point last year, when the total stood at 6,265, and 81% higher than at this stage in 2023, when the total was 4,899.

More arrivals have been recorded in January to April 2025 than in the equivalent four-month period in any year since data on Channel crossings began in 2018.

The figures come as the Government has vowed to crack down on people-smuggling across the Channel.