Three migrants have died and dozens of others were rescued after a boat sank in the English Channel, the French coastguard said.

A rescue operation was launched on Wednesday off the coast of Calais after a life jacket was spotted in the sea.

Some 48 people were recovered in the search, and first aid was given to two unconscious people brought on board the Minck ship.

They were later confirmed dead in Calais, the French maritime prefecture said.

A ferry recovered another person who was seen overboard during search operations, a later update from the coastguard added, and they were declared dead in hospital in Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Another person was also injured.

Two boats and a helicopter were used in the rescue mission, alongside a medical team deployed to Calais.

Survivors were looked after by land rescue services while the search continues for anyone who may still be at sea, the authority added.

The Boulogne-sur-Mer public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation.

So far this year, 48 deaths have been reported by the French coastguard, including a baby who died when a boat got into difficulty on Thursday evening.

Wanda Wyporska, chief executive at refugee charity Safe Passage International, said of the Channel deaths this year: “We cannot normalise or accept this.

“This Government must open safe routes urgently. Without them, the smugglers will continue to exploit the lack of safe alternatives for people fleeing war and persecution.

“We fear we will only see more people dying in their attempts to reach protection here.”

Graphic showing Cumulative arrivals of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats over three years
(PA Graphics)

Amnesty International UK’s refugee and migrants director, Steve Valdez-Symonds, said tragedies in the Channel have become “appallingly regular”, as he also urged the Government to set up safe alternatives to attempting the dangerous crossing.

A Home Office spokesman said: “This devastating tragedy is a further reminder that the people-smuggling gangs only care about the profits they make, not about the lives they put at risk.

“We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.”

He added that the Government’s new Border Security Command will “enhance our efforts to investigate, arrest and prosecute” people smugglers.

A total of 28,353 people crossing the Channel have arrived in the UK so far this year, according to the latest Home Office figures.

The number of arrivals is 9% higher than the same point in 2023 (26,116) and 25% lower than in 2022 (37,603).