A new report from the Refugee Council examines deaths in the English Channel in 2024, a year that saw the highest number of recorded deaths during Channel crossings. At least 69 men, women and children lost their lives attempting to reach the UK over the course of the year – more than the total between 2019 and 2023. Despite this alarming figure, the Refugee Council highlights that there is no official data tracking these fatalities, leaving a critical gap in evidence that is needed to inform policy.

The report, Deaths in the Channel: What Needs to Change, finds that enforcement measures, including increased efforts to disrupt smuggling gangs, have made Channel crossings even more dangerous. Increasingly overcrowded and unseaworthy boats have heightened the risks for those making the journey. While the Government has acknowledged these dangers, it has not announced any plans to take action to mitigate the impact, such as improving search and rescue efforts.