French police are under investigation by a human rights watchdog after allegedly using a knife to deflate a rubber dinghy stranded on a beach near Calais, preventing over 20 migrants from reaching the UK. The incident, captured in a circulating video, raised concerns about endangering lives, although no injuries were reported as the water level was low.
The migrant charity Utopia 56 criticized the police action, claiming it was illegal and put lives at risk since the boat was technically considered at sea. Following the incident, Utopia 56 filed complaints with France’s Defender of Rights and the IGGN National Gendarmerie Inspectorate.
A spokesperson for the Pas-de-Calais gendarmerie defended the police’s actions, stating that the deflated boat was already on dry land due to flotation failure, justifying the intervention to prevent further risks to the migrants. The spokesperson emphasized that the operation was lawful and aimed at ensuring the safety of the individuals on board.
In an effort to tackle the ongoing small boats crisis, the UK and France recently signed a £660 million agreement to intercept more vessels before they embark on journeys to the UK. The total number of migrant crossings has reached approximately 200,000 since 2018, with recent reports indicating 92 arrivals on two boats, bringing the total count close to 200,000.
Tragically, on a separate occasion, the bodies of a woman and a teenage girl were discovered on a migrant boat stranded on a French beach, suspected to have died from an engine explosion. The victims, believed to be from Sudan, are presumed to have succumbed to crushing or suffocation.
