It is a collected photo

NEUFCHATEL-HARDELOT, France, July 1, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Within hours of dawn 
breaking on a scorching day, five boats carrying dozens of migrants departed 
from the beaches of northern France bound for the English coast

Some 20 migrants set off from Equihen beach in the northern Pas-de-Calais 
region around 4:00 am on Monday. Only four were wearing life jackets as they 
clambered on the small boat.

They represent just a fraction of the almost 20,000 people who have made the 
journey across the Channel since January - a record, according to UK 
government figures released Tuesday.

But the journey can be perilous, with 17 people losing their lives during the 
crossing so far this year, following a record 78 deaths last year.

Despite the risks, the migrants set out to sea in a rubber dinghy, lightly 
loaded compared to the typically overcrowded vessels often used to cross the 
Channel, an AFP photographer saw.

A more chaotic scene played out a couple of hours later as another group 
paced anxiously along the beach, awaiting their turn. 

When four other boats arrived, the migrants dashed towards the sea, under the 
gaze of tourists or locals walking their dogs along the picturesque beach.

Police on the beach held tear gas canisters, forcing some migrants back 
towards the dunes, while others managed to slip past and scramble into small 
boats in the water.

Some migrants, with children perched on their shoulders, struggled to board 
the rubber boats, standing in water up to their necks before eventually 
turning back to the shore.

Volunteers waited for those who turned back, ready to pass out clothing and 
drinks.

- Changing methods -

On Monday alone, 879 migrants arrived on the English coast on small boats, 
the third highest number on a single day so far this year.

As part of efforts to stem migrant crossings, French authorities intervene on 
land to try to prevent boats from leaving. 

Once in the water, however, French police can intercede only to rescue 
passengers if a boat asks for help.

Smugglers have adapted by using so-called "taxi boats" to bring passengers 
out to other vessels waiting in choppy waters just offshore, rather than 
departing from the beach.

One particularly harrowing boarding on Monday lasted an hour and a half, as a 
coast guard vessel and rescue services circled nearby -- not intervening, but 
standing by to ensure the moment did not end in tragedy.

That could change as Paris says it is now considering stopping migrant boats 
in its shallow coastal waters, though the move raises safety and legal 
issues.

But for now, as the boats set off on their journey across the Channel on 
Monday, police remained on shore, watching from a distance as the vessels 
moved out to sea.