British-funded French police have been filmed standing by and watching as dozens of migrants sprinted across beaches to board small boats and cross the English Channel.
The shocking events occurred despite a staggering £500million investment from the UK government as part of a three-year contract with France – which is meant to put a stop to the dangerous crossings.
The large injection of money is set to be used on vehicles and surveillance equipment, including drones, that will help control the area.
In footage shared with ITV, the latest UK-funded hardware was seen in action by unbothered French cops who let the migrants cross in front of them.
A large group of migrants – including children – were seen huddling as they crossed the beach before starting a sprint across the sands to reach a small boat.
A large group of migrants were seen sprinting across a beach before climbing onto a small dinghy as they prepared to head towards the UK in front of unbothered UK-funded French police
Some migrants could be seen carrying small children – but none appeared to be wearing a life-jacket as they headed out to sea
British-funded French cops stood by and allowed the event to unravel before them. UK Border Force then sent out a vessel to retrieve the migrants
The boat, packed and heading towards the UK, then made a bold U-turn towards the beach where police were present
Dressed in just hoodies and jeans, it didn’t appear that any of the passengers were wearing life jackets as they journeyed towards the shore.
Small children were seen leaping over puddles and running into the sea in the early morning as the sun rose before the footage cut to a small dinghy drifting out into the open water.
All the while French cops stood by and let the situation unfold without any interference.
The boat, packed and heading towards the UK, then made a bold U-turn towards the beach where police were present.
And without hesitation, they picked up more migrants who were waiting in anticipation on the beach, without apparent concern for the officers ahead.
Dozens more migrants could be seen looking around before running through the freezing waters and climbing onto the tiny boat.
As the passengers piled onto the rubber dinghy, it became perilously overloaded, with a French officer estimating a total of 100 people on board before it departed France.
The UK Border Force then sent out a vessel to retrieve the individuals in the Channel.
Footage showed their arrival at Dover port, where they are currently undergoing processing – including consideration of any asylum claims.
The shocking video raises further questions about UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s ability to fulfil his promise to ‘stop the boats’.
It also raises serious questions regarding the French government’s dedication to the multi-million pound agreement funded by the UK.
British interior minister James Cleverly said in February that the two countries would ‘expand upon’ cooperation he said had proved successful, citing figures showing a 36-percent reduction in crossings in 2023.
But the pledge is proving to be hard to meet as more than 2,000 migrants were brought ashore in March alone.
A key plank of the strategy is the scheme to send small boat arrivals to Rwanda, but the legislation to implement that plan was not passed before Easter because peers inflicted a series of defeats on the Government and ministers did not seek to rush it through before Parliament’s recess.
It will now be considered by MPs when Parliament resumes on April 15, with the Commons likely to undo the latest changes made by the Lords and send it back to the upper chamber.
Dozens of migrants waited for the vessel to turn back before they also climbed on – making the dinghy dangerously overpacked
A police vehicle could be seen driving past the migrants – but no officers interfered. It comes after the UK made a staggering £500million investment to be used on vehicles and surveillance equipment as part of a three-year contract with France – which is meant to put a stop to the crossings
A French officer estimated a total of 100 people on board before it departed France
The latest crossings take the provisional total number of arrivals in 2024 so far to 2,006
The shocking footage raises questions about UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s ability to fulfil his promise to ‘stop the boats’
ITV News also shared footage of two other attempted crossings that took place in the same area, on the same morning.
The first showed a group of around 45 concealed in the sand dunes before reaching the beach.
And although they were rounded up by police, no arrests were made an no questioning occurred.
Instead, they were escorted back to their camp near Dunkirk, where they remain free to attempt to make the dangerous crossing of the Channel again.
Another boat was also halted, not due to French police intervention, but because the dinghy sank.
All 40 people on the sinking vessel had tried to launch themselves out of the boat and into the water to save their lives, but after becoming stuck in the thick mud along the banks of a canal in northern France – they had to be rescued.
It comes after a seven-year-old girl died in the Channel after migrants tried to sail to Britain last month.
A small boat carrying 16 migrants was headed from northern France to Britain when it capsized, the prefecture in France’s Nord department said at the time.
The boat which ‘was not appropriately sized to carry so many people’ was shockingly carrying 10 children in total, as well as a pregnant, woman with officials saying none were wearing life jackets.
The number of people making the perilous journey from France to Britain has reached record highs, with more people travelling in the first three months of 2024 than in the same period of any other year.
The previous record high figure for January to March was 4,548 in 2022, with 3,793 arrivals in the first quarter of last year.
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