STORY: Dozens of migrants squeezed into three rubber boats that left a beach in Gravelines in northern France on Saturday (September 27) morning, to cross the English Channel.

Dozens more, including children, could not board the boats and walked back to their makeshift camps.

Two female migrants died in a crossing attempt off Neufchatel-Hardelot early before dawn on Saturday, local media reported.

In mid-September, Britain returned the first migrant to France under a "one in, one out" agreement to remove people who arrive on small boats, the interior ministry said on Thursday.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed a pilot scheme, which would see Britain deporting to France undocumented people arriving in small boats, in return for accepting an equal number of legitimate asylum seekers with British family connections.

Starmer's government faces mounting pressure to stop small boats taking asylum seekers across the Channel from Europe, a route by which more than 30,000 people have come so far in 2025.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: GRAVELINES, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 27, 2025) (REUTERS - Access All)

1. MIGRANTS WALKING ON BEACH

2. PERSON CARRYING CHILD

3. COUPLE WITH CHILD, WALKING ON BEACH

4. MIGRANTS WADING IN SEA

5. VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS IN KNEE-DEEP WATER, FACING BOAT

6. HELICOPTER IN AIR

7. VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS WADING IN WATER, TOWARDS BOAT CARRYING OTHER MIGRANTS

8. POLICE VEHICLES AND POLICEMEN ON SHORE/ SUN RISING

9. POLICEMEN ON SHORE, HELICOPTER IN AIR

10. VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS WADING/ BOAT CARRYING OTHER MIGRANTS

11. POLICEMEN ON SHORE

12. MIGRANTS WADING/ SHIP AT SEA

13. VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS APPROACHING BOAT

14. BOAT CARRYING MIGRANTS

15. TWO BOATS CARRYING MIGRANTS AT SEA/ WAVES

16. BOAT CARRYING MIGRANTS

17. TWO BOATS CARRYING MIGRANTS

18. MIGRANTS WADING/ THREE BOATS BEHIND

19. POLICEMAN WALKING ON SHORE

20. VARIOUS OF BOATS CARRYING MIGRANTS

21. VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS WALKING TOWARDS BOAT

22. MIGRANTS STANDING IN WATER, WHILE BOAT MOVES

23. BOATS MOVING AWAY

24. MIGRANTS STANDING AS BOAT MOVES AWAY

25. MIGRANTS STANDING ON SHORE

26. MIGRANTS WALKING BACK TO SHORE

27. BOAT MOVING AWAY/ ANOTHER BOAT AT SEA

28. MIGRANTS WITH CHILDREN WALKING BACK TO SHORE

29. MAN WITH CHILD WALKING ON SHORE

30. VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS WITH CHILDREN WALKING BACK TO SHORE

31. VARIOUS OF SILHOUETTE OF MIGRANTS ON BEACH

32. VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS GATHERED ON BEACH

33. REFLECTION OF MIGRANTS STANDING ON PUDDLE

34. MIGRANTS WALKING ON BEACH

35. MIGRANTS STANDING

36. JEEP MOVING ON BEACH

37. VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS ON SHORE, WALKING BACK TO CAMP

38. VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS STANDING ON BEACH

39. MIGRANTS WALKING ON BEACH