French officials said the child fell from an overloaded dinghy that later continued its voyage toward the UK with around 50 people still on board. A child died while attempting to cross the English Channel on Sunday, the latest tragedy in a tough year that has already seen dozens of migrant deaths on the route from France to Britain.French officials said the child fell from an overloaded dinghy that later continued its voyage toward the UK with around 50 people still on board. The incident came just one day after two Somali women were killed in a separate crossing attempt. Police said they either suffocated on the overcrowded vessel or drowned after it broke apart off the coast near Neufchâtel-Hardelot. Since January, more than 32,000 migrants have crossed, and government figures show over 50,000 have arrived since Labour took office in July 2024.