Several people, including child, die crossing Channel

Several people, including a young child, died last night while attempting to cross the Channel, French authorities have said.

"Several migrants have again lost their lives trying to reach Great Britain by sea across the English Channel," the regional prefecture said in a statement.

A rescue operation took place between this morning.

The latest tragedy means at least 47 would-be asylum seekers have lost their lives attempting to reach England from France so far this year.

The French and British governments have sought for years to stop the flow of undocumented migrants, who may pay smugglers thousands of euro per head for the passage to England from France aboard small boats.

French authorities seek to stop people taking to the water but do not intervene once they are afloat except for rescue purposes, citing safety concerns.

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier said on Tuesday that the country needed a stricter immigration policy.

He vowed to be "ruthless" with people traffickers, who he said "exploit misery and despair" and encourage undocumented asylum seekers to cross the Channel and the Mediterranean.

The latest incident comes after eight migrants died in mid-September when their overcrowded vessel capsized while trying to cross the Channel.

In early September at least 12 people including six minors, mostly from Eritrea, died off the northern French coast when their loaded boat capsized.