French police slash small taxi-boat on beach

[DangerQuakeRhinoSnake]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ygjjxjlplo

I'm unsure why the BBC has put an upsetting scenes warning on the video. Nobody got hurt, they are just disappointed. I think this is far preferable than those people going across the sea and potentially dying in the water. The police wouldn't have done it if it wasn't shallow enough to safely stop the boat. I think they are very brave.

I wonder what the French will do with the people though, if they are now serious about stopping boats.

I did wonder if someone had been injured by the Stanley knives maybe but doesn't look like it. Really not sure why it was marked as upsetting either.

Might have been marked as distressing because there were people crying on the boat, including one who might have been a child. Certainly distressing for the passengers, but I do agree that this is better than risking their lives crossing the channel.

These are the type of tactics that are needed. The UK government needs to agree with the French that they will do this (and the UK pay for the cost of this if necessary). They then need to agree to set up more legitimate application routes for access to the UK to deter illegal crossing. Anyone who has crossed illegally should not they have any right to apply to remain in the UK.
I am a Labour supporter who has no issue with legitimate migration or offering asylum to those in need. It is not sustainable for boat loads of young men to arrive illegally and expect the British tax payer to support them.

Yes I agree it’s better than risking life and we need to stop them coming to the UK. Still it’s sad to watch

They could well have saved that little girls life.

Where do the people smugglers buy these boats? How difficult would it be to licence sales within the EU? And imports of such boats into the EU?

I've been saying this for months and months, why dont the Police just puncture the boats ??

I was pleased to see this. I often wonder why when the coastguard, RNLI etc rescure people from these small boats why do they do not take them safely back to France. This would send a clear message that paying a lot of money and risking your life is a waste of time as you are very unlikely to reach England

It's the BBC treating us all like snowflakes again. Sigh.

This won't be a regular thing. The French have made it clear they only intervene when there's a serious safety issue and the water was shallow enough.

I agree with your post but did you realise that we’ve already been paying the French for some time? And they haven’t really done much up until now so it’s good to see them finally doing something.
But I hope it’s not just a one off “for show”.

Germany

There are very few legal routes to seeking asylum. If you are an asylum seeker trying to get from Somalia, for example, to Europe, you will most likely have to cross borders illegally.

That’s why entering illegally doesn’t prevent you from making a claim to asylum.

What is the arrangement with the French then now that we hav left the EU, whats in it for them to stop the boats.

I cant see us doing this on behalf of another country?

Are UK border control or police able to operate on French soil and in French waters to do this anyway if the French didnt?

Agree.

But I would also point out that while UK was an EU member state and had signed up to the Dublin Regulations (Dublin 11 and Dublin 111) which managed asylum claims on an EU basis, the French were notoriously bad at applying those regulations when it came to illegal channel crossers.

What was the serious safety issue this time?

From what I understand there wasn't a safety issue with intervening which is why they did on this occasion. It's usually too deep so they can't risk it.

It's more serious to let them sail, surely? An overloaded small boat in the channel is seriously unsafe!

Oh right. So not in shallow water and they’ll be left alone. Maybe they’ll consider that next time.

I thought there was a 500£ million pledge made under the last government to help France secure borders in return for stopping crossings

Although something may have changed since then.

Yes sure but pp said it won’t be a regular thing. They all plan to take a boat into the Channel

There's an obligation to help someone if they are in peril under French law. I can't remember the ins and outs. I think the action by the French police quite possibly comes under this.

"A few minutes later, a second boat, with almost no passengers, came towards the shore, watched by a French coastguard boat further into the English Channel.

Initially, people were ushered forwards in organised groups, holding hands, and directed by one man who appeared to be leading events.

But as the inflatable boat turned and reversed towards the shore, there was a scrum as dozens of people scrambled to climb aboard in water that was at least waist deep."

Am I reading that right, there was an obvious people trafficking leader but it sounds like the police didn't arrest him?

So good to see something actually being done. Far from upsetting!

It’s a welcome way of stopping it. It’s also cheap. No special equipment needed.

Mostly young men with no paperwork. What could possibly go wrong…