Overview

• French authorities opened an inquiry after the body of a 25-year-old Sudanese migrant was discovered in the Transmarck zone, where he is believed to have fallen from a lorry he attempted to board.
• Reinforced policing around the Port of Calais and Channel Tunnel has pushed migrants toward logistics hubs like Transmarck in hopes of clandestine truck boardings.
• Since early 2025, 17 people have died on makeshift Channel crossings, illustrating a shift toward more dangerous and costly sea routes.
• More than 21,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel this year, a record volume that has heightened pressure on Franco-British border controls.
• Paris and London agreed in June to a pilot ‘one-for-one’ return-for-acceptance migration scheme, which still requires European Commission approval.