“Unfortunately, we are gathered again to report four deaths this morning,” Pas-de-Calais Prefect François-Xavier Lauch told broadcaster BFM.
Authorities said at least 42 people attempted to board the boat, but strong waves swept some into the sea.
Several people were rescued from the water, including one person urgently treated for hypothermia.
Firefighters, gendarmes, and 10 state-mandated rescue operators coordinated the response with maritime patrols, a patroller, a border police aircraft, and an army helicopter.
Authorities warned about the dangers of “taxi-boat” crossings and reiterated that such attempts put migrants’ lives at high risk.
By the end of 2025, the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration reported that at least 7,667 people died or went missing on dangerous migration routes worldwide.
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