New “dangerous” French police tactics to intercept migrant small boats at sea will put more lives at risk, a charity monitoring Channel crossings warned.
Home Office data showed Friday was the 28th consecutive day without a successful crossing to UK waters, a record since the small boat crisis started in 2018.
Utopia 56, which operates on the Calais and Dunkirk coast, said attempts had been made on Saturday morning, and that three French police boats had been seen patrolling the sea since last week.
This week, The i Paper also revealed how British vigilantes have been posing as journalists in a new tactic designed to confront Channel migrants in France.
The new French maritime police interception measures come after months of pressure from the UK Government, with Sir Keir Starmer writing to Emmanuel Macron to warn there was “no effective deterrent” in the Channel.
But a four-week hiatus in crossings was most likely due to bad weather causing high waves more than any crackdown from French and UK authorities, a spokesperson from Utopia 56 said.
Amelie Moyart, a communications coordinator for Utopia 56, told The i Paper: “The only thing that changed since last week is that now there are three boats from the police in the water that can intercept people.
“Until now, the police stayed on the ground and tried to stop people on the beaches. In the water, it was only for the rescue teams.
“It’s really dangerous. That’s why, for four years now, they didn’t do anything in the water. They [migrants] are going to want to escape the police so they will take more risks.”
The lack of attempted crossings in recent weeks meant it was not possible to see what impact the French police measures were having, she added.
French authorities have ruled out using nets to stop boats being launched by smuggling gangs after reports that they could be launched to entangle propellers.
Migrants try to board a smuggler’s boat in an attempt to cross the English Channel off the beach of Gravelines, northern France (Photo: Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images)However, it’s not clear exactly how the tactic will be deployed to stop small boats before they collect passengers from French beaches.
The more aggressive approach was championed by former Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, but French authorities had refrained from using it due to the risk to officers and migrants.
Speaking on Saturday, Moyart said the group had received one distress call from the water off Dunkirk around 7am local time, while around half a dozen migrant boats were still in the water later that morning.
Despite the lack of crossings, there appeared to have been no build-up of people along the coast waiting to attempt the dangerous journey to the UK, she said.
Around 2,000 were waiting in camps while others waiting to cross would travel to the camps after these people had made the journey.
Strong winds over the past few weeks have caused waves of more than half a metre that risk sinking boats, with only a small window of opportunity for people to try last night and on Thursday, the utopia 56 spokesperson added.
Your next read
square BENEFITS ExclusiveHousehold benefits to remain capped at £22,000 a year
square DISABILITY BENEFITSI have an automatic Motability car – cruel changes will increase costs
square NEWS InvestigationThe disappearing village that shows the stark reality of climate change
square MOTABILITY ExplainedThe looming changes to the Motability scheme – from tax hikes to PIP reform
But she had not heard from people hoping to reach England that a tougher stance from Starmer’s government would deter them from coming to the UK.
“I don’t think that anything that the UK or the French can do or will do will change the fact that some people don’t have anywhere else to go,” she said.
“People want to go to the UK because they know people there, but there are people who tried to stay in Europe and were rejected so their last chance is the UK.”
December is traditionally one of the quietest months for Channel crossings, with a combination of low temperatures, poor visibility, less daylight and stormy weather making the journey particularly difficult.
The most arrivals recorded in the month of December is 3,254, in 2024.
This year looks likely to see the second highest annual number of migrants arriving in small boats since data was first reported in 2018.
The all-time high is 45,774 arrivals in 2022.
Hence then, the article about dangerous french police tactic to stop small boats in the channel risking lives was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( ‘Dangerous’ French police tactic to stop small boats in the Channel risking lives )
Also on site :