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Two migrants have died off the coast of France during an attempt to cross the English Channel.
Six other migrants were rescued, with one of them taken to hospital.
It comes a day after the government signed an extension with France over current arrangements on beach patrols as part of efforts to reduce the number of Channel crossings.
The French maritime prefecture said the latest incident started when a small boat headed towards the beach at Gravelines, near Calais, at around 9.30am on Wednesday.
A group of about 30 migrants was waiting for it.
Eight people were pulled onto a rescue boat when they got into difficulty, but two of the migrants could not be saved, officials said.
The group of migrants, including children, was seen struggling to board the small boat.
At least 12 French police officers were present in the Gravelines beach area at the time.
A French navy helicopter carried out a search as part of attempts to ensure nobody was left in the water, the French authority said.
Migrants struggle to board a small boat off the coast of France. Pic: PA
On Tuesday, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood signed a two-month extension to the current arrangement with France over Channel crossings, while the countries thrash out a longer-term agreement.
It came hours before the £478m deal, put in place in 2023 by the then Tory government, was due to end.
The package was set up to fund a new detention centre in France and hundreds of extra law enforcement officers on its shores.
Tuesday’s extension means operational contracts will continue to be funded by £16.2m of UK government money.
French authorities on the beach in Gravelines. Pics: PA
A Home Office spokesperson said Ms Mahmood is “driving a hard…
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