Two men and two women have died after attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat, French authorities have confirmed.
The accident is reported to have happened around 7am French time in Équihen-Plage, near Boulogne.
It comes less than two weeks after two migrants died off the coast of France during an attempt to cross the Channel, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
The area where the latest incident occurred is not usually used to launch small boats to Britain, but there has been an increase recently.
Francois Xavier-Lauch, an official for Pas-de-Calais, is currently meeting with the coastguard, police and fire service.
"A taxi-boat sinking occurred today. The situation is still being assessed and remains subject to change," local French
authorities in Calais said in a statement.
In the past year, traffickers have taken to motoring dinghies along stretches of the northern French and Belgian
coasts picking migrants up along the shore. Authorities refer to them as 'taxi-boats'.
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The UK government last month signed an extension with France over current arrangements on beach patrols as part of efforts to reduce the number of Channel crossings.
Some 4,441 migrants arrived in the first three months of 2026, according to Home Office data.
This is 33% lower than the number who had reached the UK by this point in 2025, which was 6,642.
(c) Sky News 2026: Four die as small boat sinks during attempt to cross English Channel
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