French officials say that 15 others have been taken to hospital.

Boris Johnson said his thoughts were with the victims families, and he vowed to crack down on the criminal networks behind such perilous journeys.

A large search and rescue operation began earlier after the vessel was seen in difficulty near Dunkirk.

More than 7400 migrants have reached the U.

K in small boats this year.

That's a significant rise from 2019 when 1825 successfully crossed, while our correspondent Nick Beak is in Dunkirk for us tonight, Nick.

Good evening, Rita.

Yes, the search operation went on for most of the day.

But as you can see, there is now an eerie silence in the port of Dunkirk.

The water is still is, you'd imagine.

But earlier this morning, two miles out to sea, it was very different.

The conditions were said to be treacherous, but yet a group of up to 20 migrants embarked on a journey towards the United Kingdom as we know some were plucked to safety, others did not survive.

And this is said to be the deadliest day for attempted crossing so far this year and has prompted the prime minister tonight to vow to crack down on the criminal gangs behind these crossings.

The search for a better life in Britain ended in this corner of France this morning of all the days to attempt the perilous crossing.

This was not the one rough waters, high winds.

Rescue teams had responded after a small migrant boat was spotted in trouble.

Two adults and a five year old and an eight year old or from Iran could not be saved A.

To this stage, the appraisal of the situation isn't yet complete way.

Think there are 19 to 20 people on there is one person missing who possibly could be an infant.

We're still trying to firm up the details with the help of an interpreter.

There are people who were scared to push too far, but who are able to talk to us.

Earlier this year, the scale of this problem became vividly clear.

The desperation of those clinging to life the British navy has been patrolling these waters as part of the fight against what Boris Johnson tonight called the ruthless criminal gangs exploiting vulnerable people.

Officials say they've stopped 650 crossings in the past week alone.

There have been crossings in the winter months every year since this phenomenon started in 2000 and 18.

But clearly the numbers have been extremely high this year, unacceptably high.

That's being driven by a number of factors, including covert and the switch in travel patterns.

We're responding to that with the French Thio, reduce the number of crossings and in the viability of this room, the migrant boats seized in British ports tell their own story.

But the government has said Francois needs to do much mawr toe hold the crossings.

The home secretary says she wants the route to the UK to be unviable, a stance which has been praised and criticized.

One of the people here want to get in boats and they certainly do not want to put their Children through these risks.

If they have an alternative, I am sure they would take it.

What we need is to give them an alternative that they could take.

It's absolutely not right.

These are ordinary people.

Thes Children are just like other Children.

They play, they laugh.

They don't want to get in boats.

As local French hospitals care for those people who were plucked from the water today, investigators continue their work.

The people smugglers of Calais and Dunkirk are said to have warned migrants living nearby that tougher British action is imminent, and that may force the hand of those who feel they have nothing to loose.

Nick Big BBC NEWS Dunkirk Home editor Mark Eastern is here with me, Mark.

This is a question that's asked repeatedly.

But what drives people to take risks like this?

Why indeed, Why would migrants put their small Children and themselves into a tiny boat to cross the channel in rough seas just to get to Britain?

And the The short answer, I suppose, is that the only place you can claim asylum from the British state is in Britain.

If you want to join family who are already here, or or seek the security of life in the UK, you have to somehow get onto our island on that means smuggling yourself in almost certainly using criminal gangs to help you achieve it because you were coming from coming from Iran, for example, there really is no other way now for the home Secretary and the government.

This tragedy illustrates why Britain needs to make that dangerous route across the channel.

In their words, unviable stopped.

The boats send people straight back as soon as they arrive, send them back to their to their homeland in the hope that that deters people from attempting the journey in the first place.

But you know, Last year, a committee of MPs warned the government that AH, policy that focuses exclusively on closing borders will drive migrants to take more dangerous routes and pushed them into the hands of the criminal groups.

And they urged ministers to expand safe and legal routes for asylum seekers.

And interestingly, some French politicians have gone further, saying that the British government lacks even an ounce of humanity by not allowing people to claim asylum from outside the UK Now, thoughts tonight will of course be for those Children, those little Children whose young lives were cut short by this awful tragedy.

But soon the focus, I think, will shift onto how we can end this murderous trade in human cargo mark.

Thank you, Marcus.