A migrant has died trying to cross the English Channel.

The RNLI confirmed it had launched its all-weather lifeboat and a group of people were brought to Dover in a Border Force boat on Friday morning.

In a statement, the RNLI said: “Dover RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat was tasked by HM Coastguard at 8.15 BST… to an incident in the Channel.”

On Friday, 211 people crossed the English Channel in three small boats, Home Office data said.

More than 9,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats so far in 2025, which means more arrivals have been recorded in January to April 2025 than in the equivalent four-month period in any year since data on Channel crossings began in 2018.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.”