French police officers were attacked by migrants after intercepting a small boat launch, according to video footage. The enforcement officers were reportedly targeted after they stopped the vessel.
The video appears to show migrants wearing life jackets throwing objects toward the officers in an attempt to keep them away from their dinghy. Officers responded by spraying Pava, a synthetic irritant, and by slashing the dinghy.
Increased French enforcement
The incident comes as French police patrolling the northern coastline have adopted an increasingly assertive stance towards blocking crossing attempts over recent months.
Units prevented 185 “small boat crossing events” in the three months after the new UK-France deal – defined as stopping launches, seizing equipment including boats, engines and lifejackets, and arresting smugglers.
Deal impact and tactics
Since the signing of the deal in April, extra police units are active on French beaches including a 50-person riot squad. Since March, 12 so-called “taxi boats” have been stopped from moving further up the coast and loading more migrants. More resources have also been dedicated to seizing boats and engines before they can be used in the Channel.
Smuggling gangs appear to have changed their tactics and started loading more people into single boats in recent times. Earlier this month, a record 230 people made the journey in a single boat. Ministers are keen to stress that the number of successful crossings is going down.
Political responses
Reform UK has proposed using the Royal Navy to intercept and transport migrants to France or Belgium, describing the scheme as a humanitarian response. France has said the plan “would be a violation of French sovereignty as well as a violation of maritime law and international law”.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “Our new UK-France deal is already having a real impact, stopping crossings before they happen and disrupting the criminal gangs behind them. People smugglers should be in no doubt, we’re taking down their operations, seizing their equipment and breaking their business model for good.
“Through our joint work with France, we have stopped over 47,000 small boat crossing attempts since the election and we will not let up.”
Border Security Command’s Charlie Eastaugh said: “Our partnership with France is stronger than ever. Together, we are piling the pressure on the criminal gangs and preventing these illegal and dangerous crossings.
“French officers are not shy in taking bold action to prevent these launches where it is safe and lawful to do so. They work in difficult and dangerous conditions to stop boats launching, seize equipment and disperse large migrant groups as well as saving thousands of lives at sea.
“Our joint efforts are delivering results, and we will go further still to restore control of our borders and put these smugglers out of business.”
