A group of migrants including women and children were too late to board a boat heading over the English Channel from France on Wednesday (July 2).

A couple of dozen people waded out into the sea close to the coastal town of Gravelines before the boat departed and they walked back onto the shore.

A 25-year-old male migrant from Afghanistan, who did not want to be identified, said he had left his country as it was unsafe and he hoped to get refugee status in Britain.

Data from Britain's interior ministry showed nearly 20,000 asylum seekers have arrived in Britain on small boats so far in 2025, a record high for the first six months of the year.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Migrants miss boat crossing English Channel from France

VIDEO SHOWS: GROUP OF MIGRANTS INCLUDING WOMEN AND CHILDREN TRYING TO GET ONTO BOAT CROSSING ENGLISH CHANNEL, PEOPLE WALKING BACK ONTO BEACH FROM SEA AS BOAT SAILS AWAY, MIGRANT FROM AFGHANISTAN COMMENTING ON WHY HE'S TRYING TO GET TO THE UK

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: GRAVELINES, FRANCE (JULY 2, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF WOMAN WITH CHILD ON HER BACK RUNNING INTO SEA AFTER BOAT CARRYING MIGRANTS BEGAN TO SET OFF OVER ENGLISH CHANNEL

2. WOMAN AND OTHER MIGRANTS WALKING IN SEA AFTER BOAT

3. VARIOUS OF GROUP OF MIGRANTS INCLUDING WOMEN AND CHILDREN WALKING TOWARDS BOAT

4. BOAT SETTING OFF WITH SOME MIGRANTS ON BOARD WAVING, OTHER MIGRANTS STANDING IN SEA

5. VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS WALKING OUT OF SEA

6. VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS WALKING ALONG BEACH

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 25-YEAR-OLD MIGRANT FROM AFGHANISTAN WHO DID NOT WANT TO BE IDENTIFIED SAYING:

"I go because my country, you know, death, not good. Fire, fighting, fighting."

8. MIGRANTS WALKING ALONG BEACH

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 25-YEAR-OLD MIGRANT FROM AFGHANISTAN WHO DID NOT WANT TO BE IDENTIFIED SAYING:

"I want to go to Ingilterra (England) maybe for refugee, for guarantee my security, you know."

10. VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS WALKING UP DUNE