Huge group of migrants seen walking from the beach in Calais following 'abortive Channel crossing after boat failed to inflate'

A huge group of migrants has been seen walking away from the beach in Calais after their attempt to cross the English Channel failed.

Around 50 asylum seekers saw the small boat they were due to travel in fail to inflate, leaving them stranded on a beach near the French city this morning.

It is not clear what caused this boat not to inflate, but many vessels used by smuggling gangs are ramshackle in nature, often being held together with gaffer tape and ropes.

Today French authorities confirmed a seven-year-old girl had died after the boat she was on capsized while attempting to travel to Britain.

The group photographed today, which was made up mainly of men and some of whom were holding lifejackets, were seen climbing through the sand dunes, before walking back to a bus stop.

Despite the failure of this boat, MailOnline understands that three other vessels carrying up to 150 people successfully launched from the beaches of northern France earlier on Sunday.

A group of people believed to be asylum seekers gather at a bus stop close a beach in Calais after a migrant boat failed to launch

Two people believed to be migrants walk along the beach carrying life jackets on Sunday morning

A dinghy which is believed to have been used by people smugglers is left on the beach after failing to inflate

It comes as people smugglers make use of calmer conditions to send migrants across the Channel in inflatable boats that can carry on average 50 people.

The passage is a dangerous one, with migrants at risk of drowning in the cold water if their boat fails or if they fall off into the Channel.

A seven-year-old girl was confirmed to have died after a boat carrying 16 people capsized while attempting to travel to Britain

Today French authorities confirmed a seven-year-old girl had died after the boat she was on capsized while attempting to travel to Britain.

READ MORE HERE:  Moment French escort vessel ‘picks up migrant dinghy just two miles from French coast – then takes it across the Channel so the asylum seekers can be delivered to Dover’

The boat ‘was not appropriately sized to carry so many people,’ the local authority said in a statement, causing it to capsize soon after people boarded in the Aa canal a few kilometres from the coast, the prefecture in France’s Nord department said.

It added that the girl’s parents, who were travelling with three more of their children, were taken to a hospital in Dunkirk.

The ‘apparently stolen’ boat was carrying another couple, two more men and six young children, all of whom were brought to the hospital.

Last week authorities in France and Britain launched a major search and rescue operation after the bodies of three suspected migrants were pulled from the sea.

The trio fell into the water off the coast of Cap Gris-Nez on Wednesday afternoon amid strong winds and thick fog.

There were reports a fourth body had been seen spotted floating in the sea in French waters.

An Eritrean citizen suspected to be part of a gang has been charged with manslaughter in that case and held in custody since Saturday.

It came after five other migrants died on January 14 as they tried to make the treacherous journey across the 21-mile Dover Straits.

Patrick Leleu, deputy prosecutor at the Judicial court of Boulogne-sur-Mer, said on Wednesday: ‘I can confirm the death of three migrants who fell into the water this afternoon off the coast of Cap Gris Nez. The investigation is ongoing.’

A UK Government spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm there has been an incident in the Channel involving a small boat in French waters.

A man believed to be a migrant looks at the camera as he walks through the sand dunes after an abortive small boat crossing

A group of people believed to be migrants which is mainly made up of men walks along the road to a bus stop after the failed launch

A group of people believed to be migrants gather at a bus stop in northern France near Calais on Sunday

Three men stand on the beach and talk after a small boat failed to inflate ahead of a crossing on Sunday

‘French authorities are leading the response and investigation. We will not be commenting further at this stage.’

READ MORE HERE:  Major search and rescue operation is launched in the Channel after the bodies of three suspected migrants are pulled from the sea

It comes as Number 10 insisted they were taking ‘robust action’ to crack down on people-smuggling gangs, deter migrants from making crossings and intercept vessels.

So far 2,255 migrants have made the journey from France to England in 48 small boats this year. The highest number of people making the crossing in a single day was 358 recorded on January 17.

On Thursday footage emerged online showing a French vessel allegedly picking up a migrant dinghy two miles from its coast, before escorting them across the Channel.

Footage emerged online of the French boat named Minck, searching for migrants on Tuesday evening.

It then appeared to come across a dinghy off the coast of Boulogne-sur-Mer at around 12.40am on Wednesday.

However, instead of dropping the asylum seekers off to be processed in France, the vessel then allegedly travelled towards British waters so that they can be dealt with in Dover, Kent, at 3.30am.

The user, who goes by The Little Veteran on X, captioned the post: ‘This video will open your eyes to everything that’s going on in the Channel.’

A total of 2,255 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats so far this year, on a par with 2022 which saw a record number of people making the journey

Speaking last Monday, Rishi Sunak denied he is ignoring concerns being raised by locals about the use of RAF Scampton near Lincoln as accommodation for asylum seekers.

READ MORE HERE:  Seven-year-old girl is killed in Channel crossing attempt after migrants tried to sail to Britain

‘I’m not ignoring them,’ the Prime Minister told BBC Radio Lincolnshire as he was challenged repeatedly on Monday.

‘We do need to make sure that we house people in appropriate accommodation and the best way to resolve this issue long term is to stop people coming in the first place.

‘So anyone who cares about this should be backing us to get the Rwanda Bill through Parliament so we can get a deterrent up and running.

‘I’m confident that we really will be able to stop the boats and that will mean that we won’t have this pressure in all our local areas to find places to house illegal migrants.’

A Home Office and spokesman said at the time: ‘Our priority is to stop the boats, which is why we have agreed on a package of measures with the French, including doubling the number of French personnel and enhanced technology to patrol beaches, which saw 26,000 crossing attempts prevented last year

‘Small boat crossings are extremely dangerous and cost lives, which is why we work closely with the French to rescue small boats to ensure more lives are not lost.’

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