Three die in Channel as Shabana Mahmood reopens resettlement scheme
A 10-year-old child and two women died after a migrant boat got into difficulty in the Channel, as the Home Secretary reopened a refugee resettlement scheme.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Deaths in the Channel
A 10-year-old child and two women aged around 30 died after a migrant boat got into difficulty in the English Channel this morning. French authorities said 105 people were on the dinghy. Around 102 were brought to shore in Calais at about 10:30am, and nine needed non-critical medical treatment. Three were pronounced dead by medics flown out by emergency helicopter.
French authorities believe the deaths were not drownings but probably crush injuries. People were packed so tightly on board that they were trampled or crushed. The emergency response involved border force, local police, the fire service and emergency medics.
Context of crossings
The boat had launched from Blairy. The shortest crossing from Calais to Dover is 21 miles. The deaths came after an uptick in attempted crossings in recent days. Another three people died last week, according to French authorities. The total for the year now stands at 20, only one fewer than the full total for last year, even though the number of crossings is down by around 40%.
The Home Office says 18,600 people have made the journey successfully this year, down 42% on the same time last year. This summer saw the lowest number of attempted crossings since 2020.
Resettlement scheme reopens
At the Labour Party conference, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the immediate reopening of the refugee resettlement scheme, which had effectively been closed for two years. From next month, the government will accept applications from charities and non-profits to sponsor refugees through new safe and legal routes. Priority will go to Afghan women and girls and Palestinians.
The Home Office expects hundreds of people a year at first. Around a quarter are expected to be Afghan women and children and Palestinians. Mahmood said the process must be capped and controlled, and that the UK should live up to its international obligations. The Home Office said only immediate family will be allowed under the scheme.
Reaction and wider routes
The Refugee Council said safe and legal routes are key to undermining the smugglers' business model. But a refugee charity in Calais said eligibility rules will leave many people still seeking illegal routes, because everyone in the camps is vulnerable. Reform leader Nigel Farage pushed back, saying the UK does not have an obligation and arguing that crossings must be reduced to near zero before such a scheme can be accepted, with automatic refusal for anyone who arrives illegally. The Conservatives criticised the plan, suggesting it could bring extended family to the UK.
In a sign that smuggling routes are shifting, police were called to Mylor harbour near Falmouth in Cornwall at 3am yesterday after a small powerboat landed. People were seen getting into a van, and 10 people were arrested, including two Albanians. Falmouth is about 300 miles from Dover. In northern France, police in Gravelines used tear gas to disperse migrants before their boat reached the water, and officers later removed the boat's engine. A dinghy left on the beach had slash marks in its rubber.
The government changes are unlikely to affect demand immediately. The crossings from the coastline are the final step in a long journey, and charities say it may take time before any impact can be assessed.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|
| A 10-year-old child and two women died after a migrant boat got into difficulty in the Channel, and French authorities said 105 people were rescued after calling for assistance. | |||
| Reported figures showed around 18,600 people had successfully crossed this year, down about 40 to 42 percent, with the summer seeing the lowest attempted crossings since 2020. | · | ||
| The Home Secretary is expected to announce the immediate reopening of the refugee resettlement scheme at the Labour Party conference. | · | ||
| French authorities said the deaths were probably caused by crush injuries rather than drowning. | · | · | |
| Nigel Farage and the Conservatives criticised the resettlement plan, and the Home Office stated that only immediate family members would be permitted. | · | · | |
| Nine people required non-critical medical attention. | · | · | |
| The Home Secretary said the refugee sponsorship process must be capped and controlled. | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV's lunchtime bulletin treated the deaths as a breaking news story and led with the basic facts from Calais. It focused on the emergency response, the rescue of 102 people and the three deaths, then flagged that Shabana Mahmood was expected to reopen the refugee resettlement scheme later that day. It did not carry the political reaction or the Cornwall landing that other channels covered later.
- “a 10 year old child and two women have died after their boat got into difficulty in the channel”
- “102 migrants were safely brought to shore at around 10 30 a.m”
- “this afternoon the home secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to announce the immediate reopening of the refugee resettlement scheme at the Labour Party conference”
This segment put the incident in the context of much larger boats and changing smuggling routes. It stressed that the deaths were believed to be crush injuries, not drownings, and gave detailed crossing numbers. It also reported an unusual landing in Cornwall and did not mention the Home Secretary's resettlement scheme.
- “The first thing to say is this is not a small boat. We have been reporting on these much bigger boats. 105 people were on this boat.”
- “Not drownings, according to the French authorities, they believe it was probably crush injuries.”
- “So far, 18,600 people have successfully made the journey this year. That is down 42% on this time last year, according to the Home Office.”
The evening bulletin combined the latest facts from the Channel with the political response to the Home Secretary's resettlement announcement. It gave more detail on how the victims died, on French police intercepting boats at Gravelines, and on criticism from charities and opposition figures. It framed the scheme as capped and controlled while asking whether it would reduce demand.
- “A 10-year-old child and two 30-year-old women have died as they tried to cross the English Channel on a small boat. It's thought they were trampled to death on board the craft”
- “the Home Secretary has announced new sponsorship routes and the reopening of the refugee resettlement scheme, which will prioritise Afghan women and girls and Palestinians”
- “Conference, there is nothing fair about a lack of control at our borders. It is not fair that criminal gangs determine who comes to this country.”
Sky's segment was dominated by a studio debate about the politics of migration rather than the details of the rescue. It reported the three deaths and the Home Secretary's reopening of safe and legal routes, then focused on whether the public would accept a resettlement scheme while small boat crossings continue. The discussion included calls for automatic refusal of people who arrive by small boat and for the UK to consider leaving the ECHR.
- “three people, including a 10 year old child died today, attempting to cross the channel”
- “from next month, we will begin accepting applications from charities and nonprofits to sponsor refugees through our new safe and legal routes”
- “But those crossings have come down 45%.”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
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ITV Lunchtime News · Mon 28 Sept
Broadcast Timeline
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