French police may be allowed to intercept boats offshore • FRANCE 24 English

A so-called taxi boat backs into waist high waters off northern France. People attempting to cross to the UK overcrowd the boat. It’s motor spluttering. Then French police take a highly unusual step in view of BBC cameras, wading into the water to slash and sink the boat with a box cutter. The UK government quickly seized the moment. a spokesperson for the prime minister’s office saying, “We welcome action from French law enforcement to take action in shallow waters, and what you have seen in recent weeks is a toughening of their approach.” French police, however, have denied the incident means their tactics have changed, telling the BBC that they’re allowed to intervene if they believe lives are at risk. Usually, though, they avoid stepping foot in the water, saying a change of policy would be needed for that. If the policy changes, we’ll be allowed to intervene against taxi boats close to the shore. Record-breaking numbers of migrants are crossing the channel this year. Next Thursday, France and the UK are reportedly set to unveil a new plan allowing French patrols to intercept boats up to 300 m from the shore. It’s intended to stop the new smuggling tactic using boats that pick people up in the water. But police and activists both fear the measure will only make the crossing more dangerous.

French police have waded into shallow waters off a beach south of Boulogne and used knives to slash an inflatable small boat – packed with men, women and children – that was wallowing, dangerously, in the waves. Peter O’ Brian has this story.
#France #frenchpolice #migrants

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39 comments

  1. There is No Need to Go On Holiday This Summer just Cross the Channel to France Ditch the Passport & Come Back With A Dinghy 🛶 There is Alot of Goodies Awaiting
    5 Star All inclusive Hotel Accommodation
    3 Course Meal And £200 A Month Pocket Money ,New Mobile Phone ,NO Rent OR Bills To Pay its Costing £10 Million Per Day To House in over 450 Hotels All This Coming
    Out From The Taxpayers Pocket….💀💀

  5. France, Ireland, England, Germany, Spain and Italy are toast. They opened their borders at their gov directive. Now the people of these countries dont know what to do.

  7. WHY COULDN'T THEY DO THIS FROM DAY ONE!!…. OUR COUNTRY 🇬🇧 IS BROKEN NOW,THE GANGS WILL RISE UP AND TAKE OVER 💔 😢😢😢

  10. We all know this won't happen because they don't want them, and neither do we when are the numpties in government going to close the borders and get out of the ECHR and stop giving these scroungers legal aid it's not rocket science.

  13. They wanted digital ID cards and chips that is coming. This and the road traffic act is for martial law and identity chips . Illegal stops to get identity. It's about to get a whole lot worse.

  15. One boat, yippee – what about the other hundreds that have set off from their shores? Did the French police lose the only knife they have in their country? Totally staged.

  18. So FRENCH police finally woke up when they realized France is now looking more like AFRICA ?? Shame on European leaders for such a rapid demography change in Europe.

  29. Bonne Continuation. More proactive action. Throw these ILLEGAL immigrants out. Sneaking in then starting nuisance and seeking benefits on top, abusing their asylum instead of having gratitude. No Quarter..

  39. It's better to do that then to have them travel and maybe something happen to them in deeper waters. I see there was a child on the boat. This isn't good

Comments are closed.