Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. How many people die trying to cross the Channel in a small boat? The data we have suggests the ratio of deaths to small boat arrivals is closer to one in 1,000. The Migration Observatory told Full Fact on Monday that it had counted 17 deaths related to small boat crossings so far in 2026, which would be approximately 0.11% of small boat arrivals as of August 2. The image is fake, although it closely resembles genuine photos taken on July 25.