Four bodies found in Channel as more than 50 migrants rescued

Four bodies have been found in the English Channel and more than 50 migrants rescued.

Fifty-one people were rescued after a boat got into difficulty off the coast of Audresselles in northern France overnight on Monday, French authorities said.

On Tuesday, a ferry reported seeing a body floating in the water off the coast of Calais, prompting a search which led to the discovery of another body.

The French coastguard said two more people were found dead in the water off the Calais coast on Wednesday.

All four bodies were brought ashore and an investigation has been launched but it has yet to be confirmed whether the people who died were migrants.

It comes as figures published by the government on Thursday show more than 3,000 migrants arrived on Channel crossings in the last fortnight.

A total of 3,197 crossed the Channel between 24 October and 6 November, making it the busiest 14-day period so far this year.

According to the Home Office, 263 people made the journey across the Channel in four boats on Wednesday.

That takes the provisional total number for the year so far to 31,535.

While this is an increase of 18% on this time last yet (26,699), it is down 21% on 2022 (39,929), which was a record high.

According to the French coastguard, some 50 people have died while trying to cross the Channel this year.

In the House of Commons, newly-appointed shadow home secretary Mr Philp criticised the government for scrapping the Conservatives' immigration plans which would have seen migrants sent to Rwanda.

"Had they allowed that flight to go ahead, had they allowed the scheme to continue, the deterrent effect would by now have started," he said.

Eleven more deaths believed to be linked to crossing attempts have also been reported by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), but they are yet to be recorded in the government's figures.

Charities say deaths in the Channel have become "appallingly regular" and have called for more to be done to create safe routes for migrants.

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Sir Keir Starmer is in Hungary on Thursday for talks with the leaders of Western Balkan countries, and he is expected to call for closer ties to tackle people smuggling gangs.

Ahead of the talks, the prime minister said the UK would be "at the heart of the efforts to end the scourge of organised immigration crime".

(c) Sky News 2024: Four bodies found in Channel as more than 50 migrants rescued