In efforts to deter migrants from making the perilous journey across the English Channel to Britain, French police employed aggressive tactics, including firing tear gas and sabotaging migrant dinghies. Despite these measures, boatloads of migrants continued to brave the treacherous waters.
One distressing incident unfolded when a dinghy carrying approximately 80 individuals, including three children and a six-month-old baby, capsized in the midst of the busy shipping route. Fortunately, there were no reported serious injuries, but the harrowing scene underscored the risks faced by migrants seeking refuge in the UK.
Earlier reports highlighted French police officers seemingly standing by as a “migrant taxi boat” collected passengers from Gravelines beach, destined for Dover. However, a different police team on the same beach took a more aggressive approach, firing tear gas at a migrant boat attempting to pick up additional passengers.
This escalation in tactics led the boat to divert its course towards Dover, evading police intervention. Subsequently, another dinghy carrying 40 passengers arrived, only to be met with police slashing its rubber hull, forcing it to sink. The stranded passengers were left to navigate their way to a migrant camp near Dunkirk.
Criticism mounted against the French authorities, with migrant charity Utopia 56 condemning the use of tear gas and boat sabotage. Despite assurances from the police not to intervene if migrants were in shallow waters, the recent incidents indicate otherwise.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, a government lawyer defended the lawfulness of the Rwanda asylum scheme in the High Court. The FDA union, representing senior civil servants, raised concerns over potential conflicts between the government’s Safety of Rwanda Act and the Civil Service Code. However, the government reiterated that civil servants must adhere to ministerial directives, emphasizing the necessity of implementing government decisions. A ruling on the matter is pending