French border police allegedly watched on as migrants struggled to get on a dinghy around 15 miles east of Calais, according to a report. A group of asylum seekers, including a mother, a father, and young children, unsuccessfully attempted to resist the currents and wade out to the small boat as it departed.
Ten officers reportedly watched it unfold with binoculars from the shore, wearing riot helmets and some carrying pepper spray and shields. When asked why they didn’t get involved given how perilous the situation was, one reportedly said: “It’s difficult.”
One of the officers was said to have had an eye on the vessel while four colleagues stood behind him chatting, with one filming events unfolding on his phone at one stage.
BBC News reports that French law prevents police from intervening when migrants are in the water, meaning people are increasingly waiting in the surf until the boat arrives before attempting to board, a loophole which criminals gangs are exploiting.
The family were among a group of around 10 that didn’t manage to clamber on and returned in silence to the beach in Gravelines, northern France, The Sun reports.
The dinghy had left shore further up at the coast just before 5am and had arrived to pick up the migrants, with a crowd bolting for the boat from the sand dunes, the outlet reports.
A large group of men were reportedly the first to get aboard, joined by women and families with children.
One of the men reportedly seemed to be barely able to keep his head above water as he scrambled to get aboard, while others clung to each other, fighting to keep their children out of the surf.
According to the newspaper, the boat appeared to be overloaded at one stage, either due to an engine issue or it not being powerful enough to propel it.
However, it eventually made it away from the shore.
A suspected smuggler allegedly steered the boat out before getting out and returning to shore, before taking the group that didn’t make it aboard back to their makeshift camp. However, by this time, police had already left the scene, The Sun claims.
Another vessel was spotted leaving shore further down the coast, and was followed by a French ship. Both migrant vessels were reportedly carrying an estimated 150 migrants in total.
People in life jackets were later pictured being brought ashore in Dover after UK Border Force patrol intercepted their vessel, though it’s not clear if it was the same asylum seekers The Sun reported seeing.
France’s National Directorate of Border Police (DNPAF) and the French Embassy in the UK have been approached for comment via email.
A record 14,812 people arrived in the UK via small boats in the first five months of the year, UK government figures suggest.
Last year, the number of arrivals did not reach top 14,000 until July 9, by which time there were 14,058, as per Sky News.
In a statement issued at the end of last month, a Home Office spokesperson said: “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.
“The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay and we will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.
“That is why this government has put together a serious plan to take down these networks at every stage.
“Through international intelligence sharing under our Border Security Command, enhanced enforcement operations in Northern France and tougher legislation in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, we are strengthening international partnerships and boosting our ability to identify, disrupt, and dismantle criminal gangs whilst strengthening the security of our borders.”
