Four migrants drowned last night near Boulogne-sur-Mer in the north of France while trying to cross the English Channel, French authorities announced.
Other migrants who were on an illegal boat and fell into the water were rescued, the maritime police department announced.
The National Navy patrol boat Kormoran received a distress call during the night and intervened to pick up the migrants from the sea, police said, adding that four migrants were pronounced dead.
With that number so far this year, 19 people have died trying to cross from France to Great Britain.
More than 12.310 people have reached English shores illegally this year, mostly from France, according to official figures from London published in mid-June, and the issue of migration emerged as one of the main issues in the British parliamentary elections, which were won by Labor.
This is an increase of 18 percent compared to the same period last year, despite the tightening of migrant policies implemented by British Conservative governments in recent years.
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