The deaths of 12 migrants off the north coast of France have done little to deter other asylum seekers who are desperate to reach Britain.

Six children and a pregnant woman were reported to be among the dead after a boat was ‘ripped apart’ and sank in the Channel on Tuesday – but dozens were seen making a run for a raft today as police try to stop them.

A young girl was among those seen trying to board a large inflatable raft today, wearing nothing more than a striped top, trousers and trainers, without even a life jacket to protect her.

She was among a number of people trying to climb onto a raft already loaded with approximately 30 people, holding a mobile phone wrapped in clingfilm aloft to protect it from the waters as she was carried on an older-looking man’s shoulders.

The girl was among a group of young men seen climbing into the boat in waters off Wimereux, near Calais, earlier today. 

Only a handful of the young men were wearing fluorescent orange life jackets – though witnesses say a French patrol boat pulled up later and threw more life jackets at those on board.

Dozens of migrants continued to make the journey on Wednesday, with more people pictured being brought ashore in Dover, Kent, amid calm weather conditions at sea.

A Calais charity told how around 200 migrants were spotted trying to embark on the crossing from the French coast earlier that morning – but were stopped by police. 

Around 100 migrants have been seen arriving at the Port of Dover today after three dinghies were intercepted by Border Force vessels Typhoon and Defender – with the occupants then brought ashore.

There are understood to have been two groups of migrants on board Typhoon this morning.

Defender brought in around 60 people ashore at 2pm – and had at least six children on board. An adult was also taken off the vessel in a wheelchair.

The migrants were seen wearing a mix of different types of lifejackets when they arrived and were taken into the immigration processing centre – as a coachload of asylum seekers left for the main centre at Manston.

The arrivals come despite reports that French police were cracking down on migrants attempting to enter the Channel in light of Tuesday’s tragedy.

12 people were confirmed dead after their Channel dinghy split open.

Among the dead were six children and a pregnant woman according to the French interior minister.

Home Office figures show 317 migrants made the journey in five boats on Tuesday, suggesting an average of around 63 people per boat.

This takes the provisional total number of migrants who have arrived in the UK so far this year after crossing the Channel to 21,720 – 3% higher than this time last year (21,086) but 19% lower than at the same point in 2022 (26,692), PA news agency analysis of government data shows.

The latest tally means more than 8,000 arrivals have been recorded since Labour won the general election and Sir Keir Starmer walked into Number 10 (8,146).

Up to 65 people were rescued in Tuesday’s incident, which the Prime Minister branded ‘shocking and deeply tragic’, telling MPs in the Commons: ‘We must have a renewed determination to end this.’

His comments came after Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said ‘vital’ efforts to dismantle ‘dangerous and criminal smuggler gangs’ and to boost border security ‘must proceed apace’.

A vigil to remember those who died is due to take place in Calais on Wednesday evening.

More than 30 people have now died in Channel crossings so far this year, compared to 12 who are thought to have died or were recorded as missing in 2023, according to the French coastguard.

Politicians and police have expressed fears over how people smugglers are cramming more and more migrants into small boats, increasing the likelihood of fatalities when they risk the dangerous crossing.

Earlier on Wednesday, reporters on a beach in Wimereux – near the site of Tuesday’s incident – described how a large group of migrants were crammed into a small dinghy, many with their legs dangling over the sides.

The boat was filmed by media for more than an hour as it slowly made its journey out to sea as passers-by walking dogs strolled on the beach.

It is said to have been approached by a patrol boat flying a French flag with a crew member seen tossing more life jackets to the migrants.

Meanwhile, a larger French patrol boat shadowed the dinghy from a distance.

Angele Vettorello, from Utopia 56 – which supports displaced and homeless migrants in France, told PA: ‘The crossings, it’s not going to stop.

‘Even this morning we saw more than 200 people trying to cross and have been stopped (by police).

‘We see it every month… every death at the border, the people don’t stop crossing.’

She said a lot of police were at the shoreline, with officers intervening overnight and in the morning.

Last week was ‘really busy’ for crossings and there had been a ‘huge increase’ in the number of people dying in the Channel this summer, Ms Vettorello said.

She added: ‘We know a lot of people who were stopped to cross and were back to shore during those seven days.

‘We received calls from people in distress in boats in the Channel, we received for example eight calls from eight different boats on Friday.’

The living conditions at the French shore are ‘really awful’ she said, adding: ‘They just want to be in England.’

Claiming the deaths are ‘kind of expected because of the politics’ amid ‘repression and securitisation of the coast’, she called for safe passage for migrants trying to reach the UK, adding: ‘If the politics changes here this could stop.’