Moment French police are attacked before using knives to stop dinghy filled with migrants from reaching UK
Units prevented 185 “small boat crossing events” in the three months after the new UK-France deal
Violence against French officers trying to stop Channel crossings is 'very common', it has been revealed, after shocking footage emerged showing officers being attacked as they intercepted a small boat attempting to leave France.
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The video shows migrants wearing life jackets appearing to throw objects at the police to try to keep them away from their dinghy.
The officers then use Pava spray before slashing the inflatable boat with a knife.
Police patrolling France’s northern beaches have taken an increasingly proactive approach to blocking crossing attempts in recent months.
Charlie Eastaugh, director of maritime and small boats at Border Security Command, told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast that migrants and organised crime groups aren't beyond the reach of the law once they're on the beaches or in the Channel.
"It’s a very common occurrence to see large sticks being wielded and, and used against French officers, rocks thrown," he said.
"There have been a number of firearms, quite serious assault rifles, seized in the migrant camps in northern France.
"This is a combination of those looking to board, those organising the crossings, those piloting, so the helmsmen of the vessels.
"That’s why some of the new legislation that this government has passed has allowed us to crack down on specific endangerment offences, to imprison more and more people who are putting these particular lives in danger while trying to cross."
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Units prevented 185 “small boat crossing events” in the three months after the new UK-France deal – defined as stopping launches, seizing equipment including boats, engines and lifejackets, and arresting smugglers.
Since the signing of the deal in April, extra police units are active on French beaches, including a 50-person riot squad.
Police action has included interceptions on beaches and at sea, the Home Office said.
Since March, 12 so-called “taxi boats” have been stopped from moving further up the coast and loading more migrants.
More resources have also been dedicated to seizing boats and engines before they can be used in the Channel.
Smuggling gangs appear to have changed their tactics and started loading more people into single boats in recent times.
Earlier this month, a record 230 people made the journey in a single boat.
Mr Eastaugh raised concerns with Nick Ferrari over the safety of "mega-dinghies", adding that a "mass casualty event" is inevitable.
“I know those images are really concerning, and it’s the case that these vessels are incredibly dangerous and unsafe," he told LBC.
"My primary concern seeing these in the Channel is around a mass casualty incident being inevitable.
"We saw one sink with 168 people ending up in the water. We supported the French rescue and took every single one of them back to France a couple of weeks ago.
"But it’s our assessment that it’s likely we’re seeing this as a result of robust law enforcement activity.
"That’s not just on the French coast. That’s working with international partners far upstream and in Europe to clamp down, to seize the equipment, seize the material that’s being used.
"One of the side effects, one of the displacement effects, is organised crime gangs having to take greater risks, go further away, and use more dangerous equipment.”
Ministers are keen to stress that the number of successful crossings is going down.
Some 15,897 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year, down 43 per cent on the same time last year, and an 18% drop from the same point in 2024.
Reform UK has proposed using the Royal Navy to intercept and transport migrants to France or Belgium, describing the scheme as a humanitarian response.
But France has said the plan “would be a violation of French sovereignty as well as a violation of maritime law and international law”.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “Our new UK-France deal is already having a real impact, stopping crossings before they happen and disrupting the criminal gangs behind them.
“People smugglers should be in no doubt, we’re taking down their operations, seizing their equipment and breaking their business model for good.
“Through our joint work with France, we have stopped over 47,000 small boat crossing attempts since the election and we will not let up.”
Mr Eastaugh said: “Our partnership with France is stronger than ever.
“Together, we are piling the pressure on the criminal gangs and preventing these illegal and dangerous crossings.
“French officers are not shy in taking bold action to prevent these launches where it is safe and lawful to do so.
“They work in difficult and dangerous conditions to stop boats launching, seize equipment and disperse large migrant groups as well as saving thousands of lives at sea.
“Our joint efforts are delivering results, and we will go further still to restore control of our borders and put these smugglers out of business.”