Six children and a pregnant woman are reported to be among the dead, according to British media. A prosecutor in France tells The Guardian that several of the victims were of Eritrean origin.
The accident occurred in French waters.
Unfortunately, the bottom of the boat was torn off, says Olivier Barbarin, chairman of Le Portel, south of Boulogne-sur-Mer, where the rescue operation began at 11:30 am on Tuesday.
France's Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin is urging the EU and the UK to conclude a migration agreement following the incident.
The EU should try to "re-establish a traditional migration relationship with our British friends and neighbors", he says according to AFP.
Dozens of survivors have been pulled out of the water. Twelve are being treated in hospital, two of whom are in a very serious condition, according to authorities.
Every year, tens of thousands of migrants cross the English Channel to reach the UK from the European mainland. By the end of August, 20,000 migrants had arrived by sea in the UK in 2024. Before Tuesday's accident, 25 people had died in the channel, reports AFP.
Increased security and police presence along the French coast have led to increasingly dangerous routes and overcrowded boats, says Enver Solomon, head of the British Refugee Council, to The Guardian.
The number of deaths in the channel has been shockingly high this year. It's a devastating trend, he says.
