French port city in Pas-de-Calais, current sub-prefecture.
Three separate incidents off northern France have resulted in multiple deaths as small boats crossing the English Channel from Dunkirk and Hardelot were intercepted or capsized. Rescue teams retrieved several survivors, while authorities opened investigations into the causes amid ongoing efforts to curb migrant crossings.
A vessel carrying migrants attempting the English Channel crossing has caught fire in the French search-and-rescue zone near Boulogne-sur-Mer. French and British rescue teams have evacuated 157 people, disembarking them for medical assessment in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Five people required aid overnight; others refused assistance from French rescuers. The incident follows a UK-France agreement to curb small-boat crossings through patrols and surveillance upgrades.
Multiple outlets report that while Chris Philp was being interviewed about small-boat crossings in the English Channel, a French warship conducted a handgun firing exercise near Boulogne. Philp describes the moment as “warning shots or intimidation,” while French officials say the procedure was routine and unrelated to the British vessel. The UK government says it is seeking facts from France.