A man has died following a medical emergency aboard a small boat used by migrants to cross the English Channel, British authorities confirmed on Friday.

The boat, one of many used for these perilous journeys from France to the UK, was intercepted by the UK Border Force early Friday morning. “A man has since been pronounced deceased,” Kent Police reported, adding that his identity is currently unknown and that “an investigation is under way.”

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) said that a lifeboat crew was dispatched from Dover at approximately 7:15 a.m. GMT in response to the emergency, though they did not release further details.

This incident comes amid a sharp rise in migrant crossings. On Tuesday alone, 12 boats carrying 705 people arrived on the British coast — the highest single-day total so far this year. Over 9,000 migrants have made the journey since January, according to an AFP tally based on UK Home Office statistics.

Many who attempt the crossing do so in overcrowded, often unsafe dinghies. A spokesperson for local authorities highlighted the danger, noting that “people are putting their lives at serious risk every time they step onto one of these boats.”

French authorities also report growing casualties. So far in 2024, 78 migrants have died trying to reach England by sea — a tragic record since such crossings became more common in 2018. One of those fatalities occurred in early March when a Kuwaiti man suffered a fatal heart attack during his attempt.

Meanwhile, political efforts to address the ongoing crisis continue. France's interior ministry announced on Thursday that Paris and London are in talks to launch a trial plan that would see some undocumented migrants deported from the UK to France, while allowing others with family ties to join relatives in Britain.

The death adds to mounting concerns over both the humanitarian toll and political complexities surrounding migrant crossings in the Channel.