PARIS, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Three migrants died Monday morning after a taxi-boat sank off northern France, local media reported.
According to French broadcaster France Info, 105 people were aboard the taxi-boat off Wissant in the department of Pas-de-Calais when the incident occurred. A provisional toll showed that three people died and four others were slightly injured.
Boats used by migrant smugglers to cross the English Channel have become larger in recent years, with their average capacity increasing from 26 people in 2021 to 65 since the beginning of 2026, France Info reported, citing the maritime prefecture.
Small-boat crossings by illegal migrants across the channel have emerged as a major issue in relations between Britain and France.
A total of 781 migrants arrived in Britain after crossing the channel in small boats on Sept. 23, marking the highest number of such arrivals in a single day so far this year, according to Sky News. ■
