UN officials call for urgent action after a record number of children perish while attempting to cross the Channel

The United Nations has reported an alarming increase in child fatalities during Channel crossings, with 14 children confirmed dead in 2024—an unprecedented number. According to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) Missing Migrants Project, a total of 82 people died or went missing in the Channel last year, more than three times the 24 recorded in 2023.

The deaths of these children mark a dramatic rise from previous years, with the number of child fatalities between 2018 and 2023 ranging from just one to five annually. The 2024 figures highlight a grave escalation in the danger facing young migrants making perilous journeys across the Channel. IOM officials suggest these statistics may still underestimate the full scale of the tragedy.

Five child deaths have already been recorded in 2025, though none are reported to be minors. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has called for concrete measures to address the growing crisis, including improved access to humanitarian aid for migrants in distress and enhanced efforts to track and report missing persons.

The impact on children is particularly harrowing, with many survivors separated from their families during the journey. Support systems for reuniting these children with their parents are limited, leaving them vulnerable and at risk.

Among the victims of 2024 were 14-year-old Obada Abd Rabbo and 16-year-old Mohamed Al Jbawi, who tragically died in the same incident on 14 January. Seven-year-old Rola Al Mayali from Iraq drowned when her boat capsized while attempting to reach the Channel, and another seven-year-old, Sara Al Ashimi, also from Iraq, died in April. Additionally, one-month-old Maryam Bahez slipped from her father’s grasp during a boat disaster in October.

Christa Rottensteiner, IOM’s chief of mission in the UK, emphasised that the staggering number of child deaths should serve as a “wake-up call” for authorities. She highlighted that the children who perished often came from war-torn countries, underscoring the urgent need for safer and more regulated migration routes, as well as enhanced support for separated children.

Dr Wanda Wyporska, CEO of Safe Passage International, condemned the perilous conditions faced by children making the dangerous crossing, describing the journey as a “terrifying experience” no child should endure. Survivors have shared accounts of extreme fear and trauma, with some suffering from severe injuries due to unsafe boats. Wyporska stressed that the deaths are a direct consequence of the lack of safe routes for migrants, calling for urgent action to save lives.