Tragedy in Channel as migrants are discovered useless on Calais seashore as France refuses to let British ships enter its waters to intercept and return small boats forward of anticipated summer season surge in numbers

Four migrants have died after a small boat sank while trying to cross the Channel this morning. 

The vessel, which was packed with dozens of migrants, got into trouble off the coast of Boulogne. 

A large rescue operation was launched just after 7am, with onlookers describing several bodies floating in the water near Ecault beach. 

At least four deaths have been reported.

Officials in Calais said: ‘A taxiboat sinking occurred today. The situation is still being assessed and remains subject to change.’

The tragedy, which follows two more deaths last week, comes as negotiations continue for a delayed migrant patrol deal between Britain and France. 

The French government has rejected a proposal from Shabana Mahmood to allow Border Force vessels to intercept small boats and take them back to France. 

Emergency services off the French coast today 

The current agreement was set to expire in March but was extended by two months while talks continue.

More than a hundred migrants are estimated to have crossed the Channel yesterday, with French police seen standing idly by as groups of men piled into dinghies off Dunkirk beach. Crossings have topped 5,000 so far this year. 

Taxpayers have already given £658million in security payments to France since 2018, a report by the House of Commons Library set out last year. 

Despite criticism of the existing French response, there are fears a failure to strike a new deal on funding for beach patrols could turbocharge crossings even further over the warm summer months. 

During the negotiations British officials proposed deploying vessels from its fleet of six 42-metre Border Force cutters and five commercial transfer vessels in addition to rigid inflatable boats.

French police stand idly by as migrants scramble towards dinghies off Dunkirk beach yesterday  

The plan would have seen British vessels intercept small boats before they reached UK waters before taking the migrants on board and returning them to northern France. 

Currently, Border Force pick up migrants once they have crossed into UK territorial waters to prevent casualties, before taking them ashore at Dover. 

However, the proposal was rejected by the French because it would have involved British officers entering their territorial waters – which they described as a ‘red line’. 

The details were revealed by French satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné.