Shocking footage has emerged of French police officers standing by and snapping photos as migrants, including children, waded into the sea and scrambled into dinghies to attempt the perilous Channel crossing.
Dozens of migrants were seen desperately trying to haul themselves into a black rubber inflatable boat that already appeared overloaded off the shores of Dunkirk.
The troubling scene is a regular occurrence now on beaches along France’s north-western coastline – but this incident unfolded in full view of a gaggle of French cops who appeared completely unperturbed.
At least six officers were seen standing haplessly on the sand watching the scene unfold in footage captured by Sky News, several of whom took out their smartphones to take pictures and videos of the struggling migrants.
The officers evidently had no interest in either helping or preventing the migrants, some of whom were seen clutching their infant children and holding them above the churning seawater as they tried to climb into the packed dinghy.
It comes as dozens more migrants were brought into British shores yesterday, taking the total number of people that have arrived into the UK on small boats this year to 11,431.
People smugglers took advantage of the sea’s calm conditions on Tuesday to send 85 people across in small boats on what could be one of the busiest days of the year so far for crossings.
Migrants try to help one another into a badly overloaded dinghy
French police stand by and record on their iPhone as smugglers pick up migrant families
Dozens of migrants attempt to pile into a boat as people smugglers watch on
A French policeman watches the drama unfold through the lens of his iPhone
A boat carrying some two dozen migrants sets sail for British shores from Dunkirk
Since January 1, more than 11,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel on small boats
RNLI lifeboats and Border Force Vessels were sent out at 4am yesterday morning to round up men, women and children as they arrived into the Port of Dover.
One dinghy is understood to have got into difficulties in the Channel with some people falling into the water, but there are not thought to have been any casualties.
Tuesday also saw a second failed asylum seeker paid £3,000 by the Government to be relocated to Rwanda, with another set to follow later this week.
The latest Home Office figures show that 184 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats in the seven days up to Monday, meaning more than 125,000 have arrived in the UK in the last six-and-a-half years.
Since the Government struck the deal to send migrants to Rwanda more than two years ago – which has since stalled amid legal challenges – more than 80,000 people have made the journey.
A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘We continue to work closely with our French partners to prevent crossings and save lives.’
A spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency added: ‘HM Coastguard has been coordinating the response to small boats crossing the Channel this morning, June 18.
‘RNLI lifeboats and UK Border Force vessels were sent.’
Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak told broadcasters this week that the fact young children were crossing the Channel was ‘desperately sad’ and demonstrated why his Rwanda policy needed to be implemented.
Dozens of migrants could be seen leaving a Border Force catamaran wearing orange life jackets
RNLI lifeboats and Border Force Vessels were seen rounding up men, women and children as they arrived into the Port of Dover
An overloaded dinghy of migrants crossing the Channel to the UK in April
Rishi Sunak (pictured riding on a boat in the harbour of Clovelly) told broadcasters this week that the fact young children were crossing the Channel was ‘desperately sad’
Sunak said: ‘It’s desperately sad to see young children being put in these very dangerous situations, making these crossings, which illustrates why we have to stop the boats, something I’m determined to do and have a clear plan to do so.
‘If re-elected as Prime Minister, the flights will go to Rwanda, we will build that deterrent, removing the incentive for people to come here in the first place.’
In March, the Home Office confirmed the voluntary relocation plan to Rwanda was open to anyone caught in Britain with no right to be here.
A month later, the first failed asylum seeker was paid £3,000 to be relocated to Rwanda.
The £3,000 payment is part of a voluntary programme that saw the second person fly to Kigali on Tuesday, with another person set to follow in the coming days.
The programme is separate from the Rwanda scheme to forcibly relocate small boat migrants, which remains mired in uncertainty given Labour’s pledge to axe it if Sir Keir Starmer wins the general election.
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