Four people have died after a small boat sank in the English Channel.
The taxiboat sank just off the coast of Boulogne in the early hours of this morning.
A massive rescue operation was launched just after 7am, with reports of multiple migrants in the water.
Local French authorities in Calais said: “A taxiboat sinking occurred today. The situation is still being assessed and remains subject to change.”
UK and French authorities have expressed growing concern in recent days that people smugglers are cramming larger numbers of migrants on each boat.
Yesterday, two small boats made it to the UK, each carrying more than 80 migrants.
Several attempts to launch migrants boats have taken place this morning, with at least one boat en route to the UK.
Other attempted launches ran into difficulties.
Small boat migrants continue to cross the Channel amid a spring surge in temperatures | GETTYEarlier this week, GB News revealed Border Security Command has deployed new vessels to collect migrants making their way across the Channel
The newly branded Border Security Command vessel Courageous arrived at Dover harbour just after 5pm on Tuesday.
The People’s Channel counted 65 migrants who were brought ashore at the new Border Security Command processing centre in Dover.
The new vessels are slightly large variants of catamarans that were previously deployed by Border Force in response to migrant sightings..
People thought to be migrants are escorted from the beach after failing to board a small boat off the coast of Dunkirk yesterday morning
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PA
