While the number of policemen patrolling the French coast has increased, France does little when boats leave for the UK. Photo: Jamie Lorriman for the Telegraph
Ministers are frustrated that the French are not doing more to stop migrant ships as Belgian intervention succeeded in blocking the passage from its coast.
Fears arose after six Afghan migrants died Saturday when their overcrowded boat sank about four miles off the coast of France.
The Times reported that hours before the boat sank, gunfire broke out and clashes broke out between migrants looking for places by boat to the UK at Dunkirk. /p>
The French managed to increase the number of migrants intercepted on the beaches before they set sail after Rishi Sunak agreed a £480 million deal with President Emmanuel Macron to send more officers to land and boost cooperation between France and Britain.
However, once the boats have left the beaches, the French have a policy of not interfering with the water unless the boat is in distress and the migrants are likely to cooperate.
It's already happened. resulted in French navy patrol ships chasing or escorting boats into British waters in the middle of the English Channel due to the migrants' refusal of French assistance and the risks associated with their officers' attempts to do so.
The source acknowledged that this approach caused «disappointment» in the government. “This is a different policy from Belgium, which, for example, intervenes in water affairs, does it safely and has largely stopped small boats from sailing from its shores,” the source said.
“France needs to do more”
This comes after the Home Office confirmed that 509 people crossed the English Channel in 10 boats on the day of the six migrant deaths, bringing the total for the year to over 16,000, including 1,600 in the three days leading up to Saturday.
The Interior Ministry confirmed that 509 people crossed the English Channel in 10 boats on the day of the six migrants' deaths. Photo: Jamie Lorriman for the Telegraph
Former Minister Tim Lawton, a member of the House of Commons Select Committee on Home Affairs, said the French need to toughen their approach by intervening at sea and arresting migrants on the beaches, rather than just letting them go so they can try again next night. p>
“The French are allowed [to intervene at sea], and in fact some of the experts who came to the committee said that they are obliged to do this because crimes are being committed and life is in danger,” he said.
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«But they don't, so I'm afraid the French have a bigger role to play, because they could stop the whole thing overnight if they intercept, arrest and detain the people who come.»
The new agreement with France provides for an increase in the number of French beach patrol officers from 200 to 700 during this year. The government reported in March that it had contributed to an increase in the interception of migrants from 42 to 53 percent.
However, the National Crime Agency (NCA) believes that this figure needs to be raised to 80 or 90 percent in order to make smugglers' business model is untenable.
On Sunday, ads were still being posted on social media advertising the £3,500 per person crossings despite Saturday's tragedy. The size of the boats and the number of people they carry have increased again this year to 70 from a maximum of 50 last year.
1208 Cumulative number of people arriving across the English Channel in small boats
In addition to the six people who died on Saturday, at least 58 people, many of whom were Afghans, were rescued after their boat got into trouble off the coast of Sangatte on Saturday. None of the six dead were found with life belts, despite the danger of crossing.
Around 65 people initially boarded the overloaded vessel, survivors said, before a passing vessel saw it sink and raised the alarm around 4:20 a.m.
Upcoming Crossings Warning
A continuing rise in the number of people trying to cross the border as migrants throng in northern France after bad weather restricted border crossings in July.
Hervé Berville, France's maritime minister, said smugglers are now «saturating» the coast with people who wanted to get into Britain.
«The smugglers have a strategy to saturate the coast — they run simultaneous crossings between Dunkirk and Boulogne to occupy the police,» he said.
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Describing the situation from Friday on Saturday night from Friday to Saturday, Mr. Berville said: «Put 60 people on a boat with a force of three or four winds, and it will be deadly.»
He described the smugglers as «criminals who send young people, women, adults to their deaths through these dangerous sea routes.”
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