Three people, possibly including children, have died attempting to cross the English Channel near Calais, French authorities confirmed. The victims, believed to be from Egypt and South East Asia, were among more than seventy people crammed onto an overloaded boat. Officials said they were likely crushed to the bottom of the vessel. While 44 passengers were rescued, three later died in hospital. On the same night, another 115 people were rescued from a separate boat -  one of the largest groups recorded - while three remain missing from a different vessel. This year alone, over twenty migrants have died making the perilous crossing; 2024 was the deadliest year on record, with at least 82 deaths. More than 30,000 people have already reached the UK in small boats this year. The tragedy has renewed scrutiny of people-smuggling gangs and the UK’s asylum system. New home secretary Shabana Mahmood has vowed to prioritise border security and tackle traffickers driving the crisis.

The Government is set to release over 1,000 recalled inmates early in an effort to relieve severe overcrowding in prisons. Offenders serving one to four-year sentences who breached licence conditions, but did not reoffend, will now be released after 28 days without parole board assessment. Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood said the move, alongside a £4.7 billion prison-building plan, is necessary to prevent the system from collapsing, with England on course to run out of male prison spaces by November. Critics argue the policy puts public safety at risk. Victims’ advocates warned that the policy could endanger lives, especially where abusers are concerned. The justice ministry faces growing pressure to reform sentencing, with recommendations for expanded use of community-based alternatives expected soon. However, many argue that without stronger investment in probation, mental health services, and preventative support, early release schemes alone will not solve the crisis. See also