Migrant crisis: Three dead and dozens rescued after small boat sinks in Channel

Multiple vessels and a rescue helicopter were called to the scene and discovered around forty migrants in the water.

Two of those rescued from the sea were unconscious and despite efforts to revive them, they were declared dead by medical teams on shore in Calais.

A third body was later recovered by a passing ferry, after a body was spotted floating in the water.

At least 40 migrants were taken onboard one rescue vessel. Eight others were brought to shore by another vessel, where medical teams were waiting to assess their condition.

A search is continuing in the area for anyone else who may have ended up in the water.

Ferry services in and out of Calais have been suspended while that large-scale search operation continues.

The Boulogne-sur-Mer public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation.

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So far this year, close to 50 deaths have been reported by the French coastguard, including a baby who died when a boat got into difficulty last Thursday night.

The death toll in the Channel is the highest since the small boats crisis began in 2018.

Shortly after the rescue off Sangatte this morning, British and French maritime authorities were called to another boat in difficulties near the midway point in the Channel.

A UK Coastguard helicopter and two Border Force vessels attended the scene, alongside their French counterparts.

Around 50 migrants were picked up, with no reported injuries.

It comes as GB News can confirm that another two small boats made it to UK waters and around 250 migrants on four small boats have been taken to the Border Force processing centre in Dover.

It follows the first arrival of almost 800 migrants in 13 boats last Friday.

It takes the total number of small boat migrants to arrive in the UK so far this year to more than 28,600.

That figure is just over a thousand away from passing the number of migrants who crossed in small boats during the whole of last year.

The Labour Government has promised to "smash the gangs" and has invested millions in the creation of a new Border Security Command.

But there has been no slowdown in the number of migrants making the illegal journey since Sir Keir Starmer's Government took office.

The number of arrivals is currently 9 per cent higher than the same point last year, when 26,116 crossed from France.