NEUFCHATEL-HARDELOT, France, July 1, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Within hours of dawn  breaking on a scorching day, five boats carrying dozens of migrants departed  from the beaches of northern France bound for the English coast Some 20 migrants set off from Equihen beach in the northern Pas-de-Calais  region around 4:00 am on Monday. Only four were wearing life jackets as they  clambered on the small boat. They represent just a fraction of the almost 20,000 people who have made the  journey across the Channel since January - a record, according to UK  government figures released Tuesday. But the journey can be perilous, with 17 people losing their lives during the  crossing so far this year, following a record 78 deaths last year. Despite the risks, the migrants set out to sea in a rubber dinghy, lightly  loaded compared to the typically overcrowded vessels often used to cross the  Channel, an AFP photographer saw. A more chaotic scene played out a couple of hours later as another group  paced anxiously along the beach, awaiting their turn.  When four other boats arrived, the migrants dashed towards the sea, under the  gaze of tourists or locals walking their dogs along the picturesque beach. Police on the beach held tear gas canisters, forcing some migrants back  towards the dunes, while others managed to slip past and scramble into small  boats in the water. Some migrants, with children perched on their shoulders, struggled to board  the rubber boats, standing in water up to their necks before eventually  turning back to the shore. Volunteers waited for those who turned back, ready to pass out clothing and  drinks. - Changing methods - On Monday alone, 879 migrants arrived on the English coast on small boats,  the third highest number on a single day so far this year. As part of efforts to stem migrant crossings, French authorities intervene on  land to try to prevent boats from leaving.  Once in the water, however, French police can intercede only to rescue  passengers if a boat asks for help. Smugglers have adapted by using so-called "taxi boats" to bring passengers  out to other vessels waiting in choppy waters just offshore, rather than  departing from the beach. One particularly harrowing boarding on Monday lasted an hour and a half, as a  coast guard vessel and rescue services circled nearby -- not intervening, but  standing by to ensure the moment did not end in tragedy. That could change as Paris says it is now considering stopping migrant boats  in its shallow coastal waters, though the move raises safety and legal  issues. But for now, as the boats set off on their journey across the Channel on  Monday, police remained on shore, watching from a distance as the vessels  moved out to sea.