In a heartbreaking incident, four migrants lost their lives as they attempted to cross the English Channel in French waters. The tragedy unfolded early on Sunday morning when approximately 70 individuals tried to board a small boat on a beach near Wimereux, resulting in the vessel overturning.

French media reports indicated that the migrants encountered distress almost immediately after the boat departed the French coast for England at around 02:00 local time (01:00 GMT). According to the French maritime prefecture, dozens of people were attempting to board the overcrowded boat when it faced difficulties at sea.

Local authorities confirmed that the victims were from Iraq and Syria. One additional person sustained serious injuries and was rushed to a hospital in nearby Boulogne-sur-Mer. The incident prompted a swift response from rescue teams, with a tugboat patrolling the coast discovering the bodies.

Around 50 firefighters and multiple police vehicles were mobilized to assist in the rescue efforts. Survivors, numbering in dozens, were taken to a local community center, highlighting the scale of the tragic event.

The UK Coastguard was not involved in the operation as the incident occurred in French waters, close to the beach near Wimereux. The deaths come just one day after the first small boat crossing of the year was recorded.

The incident follows a nearly four-week period up to January 11 when no crossings to the UK were reported due to adverse weather conditions, according to the Home Office. The provisional total for 2023 stands at 29,437 crossings, a decrease from the record 45,774 crossings recorded in 2022. Despite the decline, last year's total remains the second-highest annual number of crossings on record.

Meanwhile, pressure mounts on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak over the Rwanda bill, a proposal to send some asylum seekers to the African country. The plan is being revisited after the Supreme Court deemed the earlier scheme unlawful.

In a related development, a French report earlier this month highlighted concerns that the UK was not providing sufficient information about small boats crossing the Channel. The Court of Accounts, responsible for auditing spending in France, stated that the intelligence shared with French police was often "first level" and "very general." The incident adds to the ongoing challenges and debates surrounding the perilous journeys undertaken by migrants seeking refuge in the UK.